Truth, Whole Truth and Nothing but Truth
by Helle Bright
Summary: It is Serena's turn to be cursed by a monster. What kind of havoc will ensue when she can not help speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, to herself as well as to the others? And how will Darien react?
1. Prologue

  
  
Title: "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"  
Author: Helene  
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, Naoko does. And no, this does not affect me at all. I do not wish to   
own it, I do not dream about owning it, I don't even like Mamo-chan... Yep, denial is wonderful.  
AN: This is the first fic I'm posting, so PLEASE R&R. Do slant it and spare me the long hours of typing:)  
  
Prologue.  
  
  
The setting sun was casting a golden glow over the lake, the flowers were closing their   
petals preparing for the night and a slight breeze was whispering soothingly into the trees...   
To cut the long story short, it was yet another evening in Juuban park.   
  
And since it had after all been the notorious Juuban park, the evening was   
far from being peaceful.   
  
- Sailor Moon, hurry up, I can't hold it any longer!  
- Right. Moon Healing Escalation!  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
- Its evil energy level surpasses the healing power of the Moon Wand. However, Mars should be  
able to diminish it by an Anti Evil Charm, and then Moon power should prove quite sufficient.   
- Evil Be Gone!  
- Moon Healing Escalation!  
  
As it was the second time Sailor Moon used her most powerful attack, its force drove her to her knees.  
Unfortunately, it had come too slowly, and before turning back to a retired judge, the youma managed   
to throw a dozen of books in the direction of the thoroughly drained champion of love and justice and shout:   
"You are now to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth".  
  
The horrified scouts, aware that the distance, separating them from their nearly fallen leader, was too big   
for them even to attempt shielding her from the attack or carrying her out of its range, could do nothing   
but yell: "Jump, Sailor Moon, jump!"  
  
The kneeling girl had been so weakened that she was unable to do anything except lifting her head to stare   
at the heavy objects that were soon to collide with her prone body.   
  
The collision didn't come (not that she was really expecting it, too). A crimson rose pierced the ground right  
before Sailor Moon, preventing the books from hitting her. No speech ensued, though, and the scouts realized   
that their mysterious protector was not going to make an appearance.  
  
"Thank you, Tuxedo Mask", - Sailor Moon managed to mouth before her friends came to and attacked her with the  
routine "Are you all right", "Gosh, that was about terrifying" and "Jeez, Meatball Head, could you be any slower?"  
  
"Of cause I could", - answered the girl musingly, her face setting into a thoughtful expression, that felt unusual,  
and, frankly speaking, quite uncomfortable for her to wear. "...just like high heels or those annoying   
G-string..." - she continued in her head, distracted by the unpleasant tenseness of her forehead and cheek muscles.  
  
"Serena, Jupiter to Serena, roger!"  
  
"She doesn't read you, Lita", - volunteered Mercury, and, wait a minute, was it mischievousness in her voice?  
  
"She is off in La-La-Land again", - disgustedly delivered... well, you know who.   
"Meatball Head", - she proceeded to yell right into Sailor Moon's ear. "Weren't you going to say something?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, sorry Mars. I was just reflecting on your question about my attack speed. You know, if I were forced   
to perform the third one, it would probably come so late as to let the youma escape it".  
  
That had three sets of jaws drop open onto the lush glass of the park clearing and got three sets of minds   
contemplate lack of comfort, G-string underwear and high heeled shoes.  
  
"Hey, now what did I say?" The hilarious sight of her friends' confusion had thankfully allowed Serena to relax   
her face into a much more familiar and infinitely better feeling mug of indignation. "In fact, I was talking   
Scout business, and what I had to say was actually quite grave. Think about it, what if there HAD been the need   
for another "Moon Healing Escalation?"  
  
Not surprisingly, Raye was the first to answer, as, firstly, it had been a matter of retaliation and for once   
she remembered not to disgrace the Scouts' team by another public tongue fight, and, secondly, when she came   
to think of it, her Mars uniform high heels had not been that bad.  
  
"Jeez, there was no need to make you Meatball brains suffer such exertion for my sake, you know.   
Why did you, anyways?"  
  
"I... I just had to... After all, it is the truth"  
  
"We had better call it a night, girls; it's a school day tomorrow, and we can not afford to loose any more  
sleep", - advised the ever reasonable Sailor Mercury (aren't you all just LOVE this particular cliche:)  
  
"Wait a sec, Ames. I think we are forgetting something important here. Why did the Negacreeps turn this man   
into a youma? They did no seem to do this before unless the victims had been Rainbow Crystal   
  
carriers", - asked Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"I had definitely felt evil emanate from him", - told Sailor Mars. "And it took us much more energy to   
handle it. May be he was another general in disguise, just like Nephrite?"  
  
"You are wrong, Mars, you are actually wrong". Sailor Moon started jumping gleefully.   
"I never thought I'll get to see the day! I've healed him, haven't I? And that means he is human!"  
  
"But an evil one at that" - added Jupiter.  
  
"Makes sense, you know. He IS a lawyer, after all".  
  
At that, the scouts quickly bid each other good bye and left the deserted park.   
  



	2. Chapter I

Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Noting but the Truth 

Author: Helene 

Rating: PG 

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer Applies 

AN: this obviously is a first season, the princess has not been found yet, and that means no Venus. Should I introduce her? R&R, please. Remember, Caring is dropping a line. 

Chapter I. 

The mission was impossible. However, she refused to acknowledge what had long become an established fact. Features perfectly composed, eyes screaming determination, ponytails flailing helplessly, feet barely touching the ground, she was diligently dashing down the street hoping to accomplish what had been deemed highly improbable, albeit, to get to the church... oops, sorry about that... to school on time. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, right-left-right-left-right-oomph-ouch-pant-concrete-for-pant-breakfas t?-pant-why-me? 

* Well, Meatball Head, I'm about ready to hear another one of your extraordinary excuses. 

* Well, mister Impeccable, I don't have any. 

In a matter of milliseconds Serena was on her feet again and moving past her very best enemy. 

"I do not have time to argue with you..." Having uttered the last syllables, the girl suddenly froze. Halted. Ceased all kind of movements seized by extreme confusion. "But... But... It is not true... I always should have time for you..." The girls voice was extremely low. It was a mere whisper, but, judging by his stunned expression and momentarily staggered posture, the young man she addressed had heard her clearly enough. Just another second, though, and his eyes were twinkling with the usual amusement that they tended to acquire around this particular blond. 

"I appreciate the change of attitude, Meatball Head, but you'd better get going now. And have a nice detention". 

An angered "Ahgrr" and a few more seconds left a smirking Darien staring after the swiftly retreating teenager. 

Had the pedestrians, scurrying up and down the street, not been in such a hurry, and had the fans, hovering invisibly about our hero, not been so busy ogling their fascination object, they would have noticed that his smirking face grew somewhat puzzled, as he stood, rooted to the place, where he had been left by the reason of this new preoccupation. In a couple of moments, though, it would have appeared to all the casual and pretending-to-be-casual observers, that, having attempted placing his infamously unruly bangs back where they did not belong (albeit, out of his eyes) our hero had regained his nonchalant composure as he resumed walking. But appearances aside, Darien was effectively becoming a huge mess. And the best indicator to that had been the dawn of a genuine smile on his usually wary face. 

IloveParisinthespringtimeiloveParisinthefalliloveParisinthewinterwheni tdrizzlesiloveParis... 

* May I come in? * What is it this time, miss Tsukino? 

The teachers voice had been wary, although the trained ears of her pupils were able to easily detect a hint of resignation in it. Serena bowed her head, quickly turning into a very image of regret Miss H. had been expecting to see. 

* I did not get much sleep this night. You see, there had been a youma in the park, and I had to... * Yes, Miss Haruna, you see, we had been together in the park, and ... it was running late, and ...we were about to go home, and then there appeared the monster, and we could not leave until it was dus... destroyed. * But Amy, you know that this is not... * Sere... * Stop yelling and sit down, both of you. Miss Mizuno, I do not remember giving you a permission to speak, and I do not understand why you see it fit to explain Serena's behavior. If you had been with her and were still able to arrive on time, she should have been able to do the same. * But... * Miss Haruna, you see, Serena had been injured during the battle, and she seemed to feel really bad yesterday when we went home. I think she should have gone to see a doctor before coming to school. * Miss Mizuno is right, Miss Tsukino. Go see the nurse right now. * But Miss H, I don't... * She doesn't feel well enough to go on her own. 

At that point, Amy's voice held so much strain, that she managed to draw more attention than she would have attracted had she been shouting; and it made the teacher worry even more than the girl intended her to. 

* OK, Miss Mizuno, you may accompany you friend. * But I don't need to go to the nurse. I'm perfectly OK, see? The youma... * Stop yelling, Miss Tsukino, and go with you friend. * But... * Come on, Serena, you don't want to angry Miss Haruna, do you? * 

Not waiting for her friend and leader to ruin the charade, Amy grabbed her hand and virtually drugged her from the classroom, leaving behind and extremely worried Lita. A minute later, a note landed on the tall brunettes table. 

"Scout trouble. Meeting at the Crown right after the lesson" 

herecomestroubleherecomestroubleherecomestroubleherecomestroublehereco mestrouble 

"You were lying through your teeth, Ames, to get me out of that classroom. Do not you know that lying is simply inexcusable!" 

Never had Serena been so peeved, and never had her voice rung with such accusation mingling with something akin to despair. 

"Serena, calm down. Something had happened to you, and it almost made you reveal our identities. I need to figure out what it was. Do you remember anything suspicious about the last battle?" 

"No... Yea... Kind off..." 

Not being able to prevent the third bout of pensiveness during the last 24 hours, Serena decided to succumb to it; and after making a few disgruntled sounds and changing a few disconcerted expressions, she was finally able to voice her suspicions. 

"I know what it is. It is a curse. I had been cursed by the youma. To speak the truth, to be unable to hide anything. Anything at all." 

Her voice was trembling with resigned tears, and her head was starting to ache. 

"Gees, I hate to do that much thinking" - she complained, trying to alleviate some of the situation somberness for her friend's sake. Amy, being Amy rather that Raye, refused to give in to the temptation of straying to the subject of Serena's lack of studiousness, preferring to get to the bottom of the issue. 

"That's another thing that bothers me, Sere. You've stopped saying "how should I know" to the questions that are referred to you. Why is that?" 

Another pause (which seemed to be a little shorter than the previous ones) brought about another thing to deepen Amy's confusion. 

"Because I feel that I somehow should know. Why do I feel that way, Amy?" Serena's voice was growing increasingly desperate. "What did that thing do to me!" - she cried out. 

"Whatever it had been, we can't have the nurse asking you any questions. So, you'll just have to fake sickness, and I'll do all the explanations." 

"I can't. Faking is a form of not telling the truth." 

"Than we won't go to the nurse. I'll take you to the arcade, and later Luna can use her "Mind Meld" spell to convince the nurse that she had been the one to send you home." 

starsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstarsstars stars 

"When we enter, we go sit in the farthest booth from the counter. I'll go fetch 

you a shake, so that Andrew does not get suspicious; and you hide out in the 

booth. Under no circumstances you are to come and talk to him". Amy made it her 

point to firmly stress each and every word to make Serena realize that she meant 

business. Although understanding of her friend's predicament, she knew that 

a milder treatment would likely encourage the blond to try and negotiate her 

instructions. 

"I understand that it should be hard on you, Andrew is your crush, 

after all, but..." 

"He is not my crush" - interrupted Serena. 

"He is not?" 

"No, he is not. Anyway, Ames, since when did you become so prone to gossip?" 

That particular phrase had been endeavored in order to embarrass Amy into dropping 

the topic, and it annoyed Serena to no end that the supposedly shy genius 

was not to be so easily manipulated. 

"But I still want to know" - the ever reserved warrior of ice whined. Yes, she did 

actually whine; and if you, dear readers, refuse to believe it, imagine how poor 

Serena felt. "And it was you who told me, and I quote, that you were gone on him!" - 

she punctuated triumphantly. It ought to have been enough to make the already peeved 

blond snap, but, curiously, all she did was smile ruefully in resignation. 

"Well, he was... Kind off... I think..." Because Serena's voice trailed off, Amy 

attempted using the momentary silence to obtain a definite answer, but the other 

girl squashed her hopes. 

"It is unfair that you should ask me questions of this kind when I am absolutely 

defenseless. I can't even plead the fifth, for God's sake! So, we are now to devise 

some set of rules about not exploiting this situation" - she announced in her best 

Sailor Moon tone. "I guess, the first one will be "Do not ask Serena any personal 

questions" 

That turn of the conversation left Amy pondering the accuracy of her friends 

mental capacity evaluation, while Serena had been contemplating other ways 

that her gang might find to make the already trying situation miserable. 

So, it was the girls' unusual quietness that contributed to the desired 

effect of their entrance - it went unnoticed by the other occupants of the 

arcade. This fact, in turn, had added to Serena's undisturbed withdrawal to 

the establishment's most secluded booth. But as she was seating herself in 

a position to watch the counter, the jingling door bells announced an entrance 

of another customer. And not only he immediately spotted the hiding bunny. As 

her bad luck had always had it; he had to turn out to be an eager nemesis 

(should I say "fan"?:) 

"Hey, Meatball Head". 

"Oh no... Oh no... What do I do? His is soooo..." 

glorygloryalliluia-glorygloryalliluia-glorygloryalloluia-alliluia(c)(c )(c) 

Thankfully, Darien never heard this panicked inner wail, as his blond prey has 

managed to cover it with an "Umm... Oh... Hello, Darien...Umm... What are you 

doing here?" 

Upon his hearing the girl's sheepish and hesitant greeting, the young man's 

almost cheerful smirk that had accompanied his greeting turned into a grim frown. 

Wind gone from his sails, he plopped broodingly onto the nearest chair. 

"Just come to collect some of that time you claimed to always have for me. 

Or can it be that you are backing out of the promise?" 

"No. No, it can't." 

"Oh, really?" To emphasize his incredulity, Darien made his eyebrow go almost 

all the way up to his hairline and employed his best cutting voice. 

"Would you care to elaborate?" 

The last words had sounded harsher that he planned them to, but how does one 

stop sulking when one of the precious few one has no problem communicating with 

seems to be reluctant to have a conversation - or an argument. Especially when 

that one person is supposed to scrunch their face in that utterly adorable 

expression of disgust and start yelling in those utterly disgusting high pitched 

tones so that one could talk to communicate with them once more. And especially 

when she had already professed her everlasting readiness to oblige him just that 

morning, having enchanted him with the kind promise her voice held as well as 

with the warm and caressing sound of that voice. Especially when the thoughts on 

her voice were the ONES to make him think up all that lyrical and pseudo psychological 

baloney about communicating and adorableness. 

The harshness, though, was not noticed by Serena, as she had been to preoccupied 

cooking up a whole new cluster of adjectives to describe her suddenly more 

deserving counterpart. But, more than anything, he deserved an answer to his question. 

"It started yesterday, when the girls and I..." - began the girl, averting her eyes 

from the guy in front of her and praying to the Gods above that someone would stop her 

before she spilt about the newfound ... something she was starting to feel. 

(She IS a girl, and a teenager at that. Embarrassment of admitting whatever there was 

to admit WOULD be scarier than almost anything) 

"Ames, no!" - she shouted suddenly, 

prompting Darien to turn his head in time to see... Two extra large chocolate milkshakes 

flying in his direction together with their plastic containers. Another moment, and 

everything was over. The shakes ended up on his horrified face and the famous green 

jacket, one of the glasses bonked him on the head and the other one smashing into the 

wall just behind him. Amy, having thrown an apologetic glance towards her victim, took 

Serena's hand and dragged the shell-shocked girl out of the arcade. 

"Amy?" - uttered Darien, just sitting there without even attempting to clean himself up 

And/or follow the teenagers. 

glorygloryalliluia-glorygloryalliluia-glorygloryalloluia-alliluia(c)(c )(c)(c)(c)(c)(c)(c)(c)(c)(c) 

"Amy?" - stuttered two incredulous scouts. 

"Well, what else could I do? Had I commanded Sere to stop lest she revealed our secret 

she wouldn't have listened, and I couldn't very well soak her instead of Darien!" 

"Anyway, guys, we have a more pressing matter to discuss" - interrupted agitated Serena. 

"What am I to do? I don't seem to be able to go anywhere at all without trying to disclose 

the scouts!" 

"Your answer is right in your question, Serena. You're just not going anywhere until 

the spell wears off" 

"But Amy, first of all I can't stay at home with Mom 'cause I'll end up telling her. 

Secondly, I do not, and I repeat, I do not intend to miss school for God knows how long!" 

"Gees, Meatball Brains, stop whining! We might actually think that you care about studying!" 

"Oh, Raye, you are so mean... But guess what, I love you anyway!" 

"That was a good one, Sere. You've actually managed to shut her up" - cheered Lita. 

"Look, she is astounded. Her eyes must be really hurting, they've become so wide!" 

"But I..." 

"Don't bother, Sere" - told Amy. "Of cause Raye knows that you care about her. She just 

doesn't like it when you admit it in public" 

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" 

"It's not the time, Ray. Lita, can you take Serena?" 

"Yea, why?" 

"We'll tell Sere's parents that she needs the scouts' protection, and that's why she will 

stay with one of the Sailor Soldiers. And we make her get up on time AND do her homework 

so that the teachers have no reason to ask any dangerous questions. But Serena, there's 

another condition. You can't talk to Andrew OR to Darien" 

And then Serena grinned, widely and cheerfully. 

"Thank you, Ames. Thank you so much" 

"What for, Sere?" 

"For not locking me up, for believing in me, for helping out" 

In a nick of the time Serena was bestowing on Amy one of her sincere warm hugs. 

"Sere, some air if you please" 

Finally released from her friend's arms, Amy found herself a bit bruised but happy 

notwithstanding the choking and bone crashing she had already grown accustomed to. 

"OK, scouts, time to visit Mom and Dad" - said the transformed Sailor Moon. 

"Wait, you ditz. Who said you were going with us?" As usual, the Mars splendor, 

that could prevent almost anything that the Negaverse might come up with from harming 

the planet warrior, proved unable to prevent Raye from bickering with Serena. 

"Your truth addicted self will find it hard to cope with not telling Mom and Dad" 

"But I really wanted to see them..." The Moon warrior's tone was infinitely sad, 

and the scouts found this sadness even more disheartening than their friend's wails. 

endchapterone endchapterone endchapterone endchapterone endchapterone********** 


	3. Chapter II

Title: "The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth"   
Author: Helene   
Rating: PG13   
Disclaimer: Can't buy me the title, everybody tells me so   
Can't buy me the title, no, no, no, no...   
What, don't you like the "Beatles"? Well then, insert your standard disclaimer instead   
AN: First of all, I'd like to thank all those wonderful readers, who cared enough to drop   
me a line. Your words of encouragement have warmed my heart... and over inflated my ego in   
the process. So it's your own fault if I sound like an Oscar nominee. But then, I have to   
practice if I am to introduce Tux's speeches, don't I :)   
  
  
"Rise and shine!"   
"And why, pray tell, didn't you say that before trying to drown me?" This complaint from   
the enraged Serena, whose hair was dripping wet, attained nothing accept inducing helpless   
giggling from her brown haired keeper.   
"Come on, Sere, I've made pancakes, and we have barely enough time to eat them"   
"Coming" - grumbled the soaked girl. "But they'd better be good, or else" - she threatened.   
"I'm hurt to the quick" - quipped Lita. "Whenever did you start doubting my cooking skills?"   
"I never did. I just wanted to pay you back for that bucket of water you had emptied upon my   
poor self! And YOU" - emphasized Serena, - "refuse to cooperate. Do you have to ask me questions   
that I do not wish to answer?"   
"Have I asked you about your latest crush?"   
"No". The single syllable word had been uttered with such fury that it sent the inquisitive girl   
back to the kitchen. But the hasty departure did not prevent her from learning Serena's opinion   
on their mutual situation: her why-do-my-friends-disrespect-me-so-much-as-to-exploit-my- demise-   
to-coerce-me-into-submission evoked groans of indignation from all the tenants of all the nearby   
buildings.   
"And this is only the fist day" - sighed the owner of the apartment, emptying her stash of   
chocolate into a large bowl on the table. "I'd better go grocery shopping soon, if I am to   
placate her every time I manage to insert my foot in my mouth. I wonder how Raye will cope,   
though" And with a final moan to herself she set to rearranging the dishes.   
  
starsstars starsstars starsstars starsstars starsstars starsstars starsstars starsstars starsstars   
  
The school day had been quite uneventful, unless you choose to count Miss Haruna's gaping at Serena's   
timely arrival and completed homework. After the classes Amy left Serena and Lita near the school   
gates and headed to her cram school, but not before assigning Lita to keep Serena out of trouble.   
This mission, however, was not to be completed.   
  
"To the temple!"   
"But Leets, I wanna go to the arcade!"   
"Me too" - obligingly admitted Lita. "But Ames specifically told us that you are not to show your   
pretty face in that place before the curse has safely worn off. And she never says such things   
unless it is for our own benefit"   
"You mean for your own benefit" - accused Serena grudgingly. "You still think that I'm going to   
steal Andrew from you"   
"As if! I've never been afraid of competition"   
"Prove it!" - demanded the seemingly triumphant blond.   
Please, Lord, let her be mad enough - she prayed inside shakily, - and I won't pick up tongue   
fights with Raye for a whole month!   
"Lets go" - said Lita, and although she sounded almost menacing, her friend let out a squeal of   
the purest delight and headed to their destination, not forgetting to smile her thanks to God and   
solemnly repeat her promise to handle the Martian scout more maturely, at least during the self   
imposed period of one month.   
  
As always, it took them about five minutes to arrive at the arcade, but, instead of rushing through   
the door in accordance with her long established custom, Serena halted right in front of the game   
center window to peer inside.   
  
"Andrew is busy serving the customers, and Darien is nowhere in sight. So do not worry, pal, I'll   
just snag a couple of Sailor V games, and then we can have shakes and go straight to the temple.   
I don't have to talk to anyone, right?" Her voice was pleading, together with her huge baby blue   
eyes and her whole posture; there had been no way that Lita could resist the picture of longing in   
front of her.   
  
"Deal, but I'll have to bash each and every person that dares ask you a question" With those words,   
Lita opened the door quietly, so that the bells wouldn't jingle, and let them inside, where the   
tall brunette saw her blond companion to the games and left her to go and have another talk with   
Andrew.   
  
Starstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstar   
  
"Jump. Jump. Dodge. Hit. Jump-jump-jump-please-jump" - Serena was chanting under her breath, while   
hitting the game buttons and watching the screen as intently as if she were a general overseeing some   
major battle. Her words, however, had had no effect whatsoever on the two-dimensional warrior, and   
yet another "Game Over" message was displayed on her favorite game screen, evoking a loud groan of   
protest.   
  
"Don't you ever get tired, Meatball Head?"   
"Yes-I-do-but-I'll-never-give-up-so-shut-up-you-utter-creep-and-while-you're-at-it-do-not-ask-me-any-   
questions-at-all-unless-you-want-Lita-to-beat-you-to-a-blooldy-pulp!" - she gushed, endeavoring to   
both stagger him into failing to interrupt her, and to conceal her newly discovered admiration for   
the teasing youth.   
"Gees, Meatball Head, do you think I understand you ranting?"   
  
Her "No, and haven't I told you not to ask me anything?" had been delivered so coldly that it made   
him cringe inwardly. Was it the same girl who used to fume and yell at him every time he had as much   
as spoken to her? The one to always induce his ever-reluctant smiles? And if she was, what made her   
so abnormally irresponsive and dismissing? He felt that it was purely and simply wrong for her to act   
this way towards anybody, let alone him.   
  
She felt that it was purely and simply wrong for her to act this way towards him, but she had to   
somehow baffle him so that she could stomp away and retain her secrets. But her usually cold and   
aloof counterpart appeared to have other plans, as a fast hand shot towards her and surprisingly   
gentle fingers firmly grasped her wrist.   
  
"Don't!"   
"Excuse me?"   
  
Here she went again with that totally foreign icy politeness, he thought. Was she really trying to   
ward him off? She never seemed to do that before. Why now?   
  
Why now? Why does he have to act all confusing, when I can't stick around to investigate? Why don't   
he just tell me what a ditz I am for addressing gorgeous male species in such foul a manner so that   
I have a reason to be mad at him again? And why on Earth haven't "Meatball Head" done that very job?   
Oh, God, he is so close, and his hand is so warm...   
  
They really presented an amusing picture. Both stunningly beautiful; her being a slender and fragile l   
ooking creature with enormous sky blue eyes and porcelain features and him representing a cliche   
tall-dark-and-handsome with his deep blues that were as piercing as the romantic novels would have   
them be; and the to of them had nothing better to do than just stand there and stare at their toes.   
In a split second, however, the picture had turned to be hauntingly romantic.   
  
Both grew so engrossed in their thoughts that they forgot not to lift their heads and gaze into each   
other's eyes. "So blue..." - rang clearly in the two pairs of ears, the expressions of the two faces   
softening as the last of their caution was being thrown to the wind; and the first sparks of turbulent   
passion were igniting between their touching hands.   
  
"Don't go." - implored Darien.   
"Why?" - mouthed Serena, unable to voice the question.   
"I don't know. But what I do know is that your recent behavior mystifies me, and that I want to right   
whatever wrong I've done to make you so distant. I'm the one who is supposed to be the calm and reserved   
one while you are heartily yelling at me, not the other way around" The rueful grin, that graced his   
features as he was saying the words, made her want to melt, but, before she did, she really had to warn him.   
"Do not ask me any questions at all unless you want Lita to beat you to a bloody pulp" - she managed huskily.   
"OK". The formerly rueful grin turned mirthful, and as it lit up his unexpectedly friendly eyes, its lethal   
attractiveness almost proved to be the young girl's undoing.   
  
Her lashes drooped to hide the revealing eyes, her head lowered to conceal the glowing cheeks, and the   
corners of her lips slightly lifted in a bashful and hopeful smile. But as she opened her mouth to tell that   
she had never meant to act all standoffish, a loud "Sere, what do you think you're doing" signaled the   
arrival of a savior.   
"Leets, I..." - began Serena anxiously.   
"Did you say anything you oughtn't?"   
"No, I didn't"   
"Good. Now say good-bye, and let's go to the temple. Amy should have finished the cram school by now, so   
we'd better hurry if we don't want Raye to bash us"   
"You'd better do as your friend says, Meatball Head" - advised Darien scathingly, the previous mood   
resolutely squashed, if only for appearance sake.   
"There's no way..." Instantly, the rosy cheeks flushed scarlet, the bowed chin rose obstinately and the   
beaming face turned into an endearing scowl that he knew so well. No, wait, familiar it had been, but   
endearing? Really...   
"Aghrrrr, never mind, come, Lita" - growled the girl in question, derailing this train of thought.   
And the two scouts in disguise left the premises.   
  
"She was fuming. She was actually fuming" -Darien told no one in particular. "She didn't just dismiss me,   
so whatever I considered to be spoiled earlier is still OK. The thing is, I no longer seem to be able to   
define it". Yep, the fates had been fair to Serena, since, as he was leaving the arcade, Darien's expression   
had been as puzzled and uncomfortable as the ones that she had been becoming used to wear. "And why did I   
yearn to say that her hair is as golden as the sun! Especially when this particular metaphor is way overused."   
  
It'snottheendit'snottheendIt'snottheendit'snottheendit'snottheendit'snottheend   
  
Trudging gloomily behind the hurrying Lita, Serena was unable to abstain from thinking about Darien. And how   
could she, with the picture of him stuck permanently in her mind; with his mope of midnight hair, twin orbs   
emanating a most enticing blue gleam, and a pair of lips, that were quite inviting both when they had been   
curving upwards in an amused smile, or downwards in a thoughtful frown.   
  
Why had he been so apprehensive about her adopting a distant attitude towards him? And then, why had he been   
so content about her declaration of always being there for him? Did her treatment really affect him? Naw, what   
a ridiculous thought! That would have meant that the reserved and unapproachable upperclassman actually...   
cared about her. "Have I sounded hopeful?" - Serena questioned herself promptly. "I have, haven't I?" And having   
received no answer whatsoever from her overwhelmed brain, she felt her heart clench and sink in the proverbial   
depths of despondency. "Or was it despair?" - briefly wondered the cynical corner of her mind, trying valiantly   
to save its depressed mistress and failing with flying colors.   
  
For the very first time in her entire life, she experienced no difficulty climbing the multiple stairs leading to   
the temple. But then her reverie was broken by Lita's insistent shaking.   
  
"What is it, Sere, off in your own world again?" The taller girl's eyes were twinkling with merriment. The   
situation was getting increasingly amusing, she thought. True, the pensive Serena had not been much fun to be   
around, but how many jokes she might share with the other girls! They even might coerce their unfortunate leader   
into confessing the reason of her recent soberness. However, she had to be delivered to the temple first of all.   
  
"Shape up, girl. We're already late, and Raye will surely get on your case. So you'd better come to unless you   
want to fight with her, of course. Wait" - she added with mock realization, - "You actually want to, don't you?"   
"No, I do not want to. And what did I say about asking me questions?" - Serena pointed out sternly as she was   
swinging the door open.   
  
"Just where have you been, Meatball Head? Weren't you supposed to come strait to the temple?" - inquired Raye,   
wielding a broom to look more menacing.   
"We went to the arcade because I needed a couple of Sailor V games" - said Serena calmly. "Are you done   
questioning? 'Cause if you're not, I might as well leave"   
"Don't get you panties in a bunch, I have not forgotten about your ... ahem, predicament. No more questions,   
I promise. But I'm dying to learn all about your latest crush, since Ames here has already informed me that   
Andrew is no longer in the race".   
"First things first, so let's go inside so that I can study".   
  
And study they did. They had been working for about four hours, and not even once did Serena's attention seem   
to stray to other matters, which was slowly driving the inquisitive scouts up the wall. One of them was bound   
to snap real soon, and she never saw it coming, until...   
  
"Sere, please, talk to us" - coaxed Amy. "You are growing detached, and we're really concerned about your well   
being".   
"Not to mention you love life. Come on, girl, spill. Not that we're gonna use that info against you, we're your   
friends, after all".   
"Yea, Meatball Brains, is this the way one acts towards one's friends?"   
"No, Raye, this is not. But I thought we had it agreed upon, that you won't ask me any questions till the   
curse wears off. Now, is THIS the way one acts towards one's friends?" - drawled the exasperated Serena.   
"Sere, you've never been like that. It's like you're not even with us anymore. You used to share everything   
with us, why the change all of a sudden?" - asked Amy, who, yet again, was getting desperate.   
"Because" - shouted Serena. "Because I've been realizing certain things about myself during these to days that   
I do not want to know. Because this curse forces me to acknowledge them, and my friends do not make it any   
better, and try to use the situation to satiate their exaggerated curiosity! I refuse to take it any longer".   
And with those final words she flew through the door without as much as glancing at the befuddled girls she   
left in her wake.   
  
"She was right, you know" - said Raye finally. "She deserves more consideration, and we should have allowed   
her some time to adjust to the new situation before subjecting her to the third degree".   
"Yep, we'd better go and apologize to her" - agreed Lita.   
"She won't hold it against me, will she?" - asked Amy timidly. "After all, I've been the one to pose the   
final question".   
"Of course not" - chorused the others confidently.   
  
R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R   
  
"Stupid, stupid, stupid Amy" - Serena was muttering under her breath, the warm glow, usually evident in her   
eyes upon thinking about her friend, temporarily substituted for blazing rage.   
"Why the... Ooooff... Sorry, sir. I didn't mean to..."   
  
"Spare me your apologies, Meatball Head. I've gotten used to our collisions, and, besides, this one has not   
been really painful". Darien's words were not at all derisive, and his tone was almost affectionate.   
"Why?"   
"What is it with you and single syllable words today?"   
"I'm confused" - she replied flatly.   
"What about?" His voiced had softened even more, becoming kind and compassionate. He couldn't tell, though,   
whether it was due to his understanding of her situation or to his new attitude towards herself.   
"Myself. You. Life. Truth. Please, Darien, don't ask me anything else. I meant it when I asked you in the   
arcade" It wasn't just her grave voice that pleaded with him. Her widely opened eyes, her pouting mouth, and   
her strained stance had all cooperated to draw his attention away from the coveted information. And he had   
been no coldhearted statue to be able to resist them.   
"Then I'll just have to treat you to a sundae. Come on, let's go to the Crown".   
"We'd better not. Andrew will demand to know what's going on, you know, and I'm in no position to answer him".   
"Then I'll take care about the answering part". A determined hand seized hers for a second time that day,   
and a determined set of expressive eyes looked into her poignant ones.   
"You can't refuse a free sundae, so don't you even try".   
"I won't". And right in front of the astonished Darien there occurred a miracle. A gleeful grin crept onto   
the once dejected face and a warm light shone through the once tearful eyes. In fact, it had been so warm,   
that Darien swore to himself to try and provoke it as often as he could manage so that he could happily bask   
in its glow.   
  
Unfortunately, the basking didn't last. The glances exchange was interrupted by a loud beeping.   
  
"I'm being paged. I'd better get going". Without any further explanations, she turned on her heel and left,   
wearing the same dejected expression he had been trying so hard to dispose of.   
  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&   
  
Not much of a cliffhanger, is it? IS IT? Well, aren't you gonna answer:))


	4. Chapter IIb

Title: "The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth"   
Author: Helene   
Chapter 2   
Rating: PG13   
Disclaimer: Can't buy me the title, everybody tells me so   
Can't buy me the title, no, no, no, no...   
What, don't you like the "Beatles"? Well then, insert your standard disclaimer instead   
AN: First of all, I'd like to thank all those wonderful readers, who cared enough to drop   
me a line. Your words of encouragement have warmed my heart... and over inflated my ego in   
the process. So it's your own fault if I sound like an Oscar nominee. But then, I have to   
practice if I am to introduce Tux's speeches, don't I :)   
What do you mean I shouldn't rewrite my own author notes? Anyways, this is only the second   
part of chapter 2, and it does not require a special introduction.   
E-mail: aishiteru@nightmail.ru   
  
"They won't get the last one, I won't let them" - she swore almost violently. "This crystal   
means too much. Too much?" The moon wand had led her to a street, and a narrow and scary one at   
that. She was late. Terribly late. As late as to allow her apprehension to become reality.   
Zoisite had already disappeared with the crystal, leaving the last shadow warrior in her wake.   
It had been a cat, but a big and frightening one. Both the street and the cat made her shiver   
with fear. Her eyes grew bigger than was deemed possible, and her legs were about to refuse to   
support her body. In spite of that, her lips pursed in determination, and her hands gripped her   
broach even tighter.   
  
"Moon Prism Power"   
"Moon Tiara Magic"   
  
She missed. Oh, God, it felt awful. She had to be better than that. She had to retrieve the   
crystal, for her friends, for her protector. They would be devastated if they were to loose   
another one. She just couldn't fail them. And she wouldn't.   
  
"Moon Tiara Magic"   
  
It kept moving, evading the weapon in the very last moment. Hadn't she been good enough? Had she   
really been unworthy of her position? Would it have been better had someone else had been assigned   
to do her work? Would it?   
  
The somber thoughts did nothing for her concentration; her eyes were getting tearful from the growing   
anguish; and she didn't notice the monster clawing at her until a burning pain seized her left thigh.   
"Is that it" - she wondered briefly, attempting to find a cover.   
  
It wasn't.   
  
"How dare you molest the innocent and attack the fallen? Sailor Mars can't forgive you! Mars Fire   
Ignite!"   
  
The enemy temporarily out of commission, Sailor Mars kneeled before Sailor Moon.   
  
"How are you?"   
"Fine, now that you're here. What took you so long?"   
"We've been looking for you all over the town"   
"This one never let me off the hook when I was late, you know"   
"Mercury Bubbles Blast"   
"Jupiter Thunder Clasp Zap"   
"Are you up to it, Sere?"   
"When wasn't I up to it? Moon Healing Escalation!"   
  
Exhausted by the blood drain and the attack forming, Sailor Moon collapsed on the ground, observing the   
monster of the day give its final screech and morph back into a filthy tomcat.   
  
"Moon dusted" - volunteered Jupiter, hovering happily near her friend and leader. "And yet another victory goes   
to… the Sailor Scouts" - she added triumphantly, shifting into a cheerleader mode.   
"We've lost" - contradicted the girl sitting on the ground. "I've lost. I've lost the last rainbow crystal" -   
she stated gravely.   
"You've lost it? How could you loose another one? The last one?" - shouted an incensed male voice that came from   
behind. "How am I to find the princess without those crystals? Don't you understand that they are crucial to her   
revealing?"   
"But..."   
"Here she goes again" - said Mars, shaking her head in exasperation. "Gee, Tuxedo…"   
She didn't get to finish reprimanding the masked hero, as her words were cut by Sailor Moon's firm and clear   
assertion.   
  
"They aren't"   
"Excuse me?"   
  
A chilling void crept into her chest at his cold indifference, but surprisingly her next thought did not dwell   
on the furious man. "Was Darien feeling the same way this morning?" - her mind wondered. "He was, wasn't he? He   
was looked so pallid, almost vulnerable, the eyes haunted and the shoulders slumped…"   
  
"Why did you say that?" - Tuxedo Mask barked at her, getting her to snap back to the reality.   
"Because they aren't" - Sailor Moon repeated flatly.   
  
"Do you intend to try and convince me, that I haven't seen her in my dreams pleading with me to retrieve the   
Imperium Silver Crystal and giving me a cue about the Rainbow Crystals being the key its discovery?" - he inquired   
derisively, ready to dismiss each and every argument she might use to prove him wrong and redeem herself. At that   
moment she was an enemy, attempting to prevent him from fulfilling his mission, and no blanched faces and sad   
demeanors could affect him. Or so he assumed, until she resumed her explanation.   
  
"The Rainbow Crystals are not the key to the Silver Crystal recovery, they are merely to appear shortly before it   
does. The connection they have is one of common appearance time rather than one of cause and effect. Therefore, the   
matter of who holds the Rainbow Crystal is of no consequence to our goal" - Sailor Moon told emotionlessly, each   
and every word of hers stabbing his heart, making him realize how much she was hurting and how much of her ache had   
been inflicted by him.   
"I'll be going now" - she said finally, releasing her fellow warriors from a strange spell her speech had cast over   
them. A wave to the scouts and a glance at Tuxedo Mask were the best farewell she could afford, and then she leapt   
into the night.   
  
"How did I know?" - she asked herself anxiously. "May it's some knowledge was inside me because I'm Sailor Moon?   
Why me, then? Why not one of the other scouts? Is it because I'm the leader?"   
  
"No, it isn't" - answered a silvery voice inside her.   
  
theendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheendtheend   
  
Am I getting any better at cliffhangers?


	5. Chapter III

Author Notes: (exhales) Thank-you-kind-readers-for-your-kind-reviews-  
and-for-sticking-with-my-story-and-sorry-for-the-attempted-cliffhanger  
-next-time-it-will-be-better-what-are-you-still-doing-here-go-read-and  
-don't-forget-to-review. (big inhale) Natasha, I'm very grateful to   
you for prereading and being so wonderful about it; and Bonnie-chan,   
your enthusiasm is very inspiring, you do realize it, don't you?   
Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth  
Chapter 4  
Author: Helene  
E-mail: aishiteru@nightmail.ru  
Setting: First Season  
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)  
Disclaimer: do I have to say it again? OK. I don't own the Beatles,   
the New York Times, the Tree Musketeers and the Phantom of the Opera.   
And BTW, Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me either.  
  
More and more streaks of pink kept gracing the smoky white of the   
predawn heavens, lending them the ethereal look, so appreciated by   
lovers and poets of all time and place. The wind had yet to awaken,   
allowing the trees to continue slumbering, undisturbed. Their feathered   
inhabitants were as well enjoying the last bits of sleep, afforded by   
the night.   
  
The pond was still, its surface smooth, its waters calm and their steel   
coloring unaffected by the light glitter of the emerging planet guardian   
star.   
  
Two figures were sitting on a bench, basking in the first rays of sunshine   
and reveling in each other's proximity, the smaller longhaired female head   
pillowed on a broad chest of her companion. From time to time one of them   
would glance at their partner, and more often than not their eyes would   
clash and remain fixed at the same spot for a few moments. And having   
their fill, they would look away.  
  
Another couple was embracing on a blanket spread near the pond, and   
yet another two were cuddling near an old oak. Yep, even in the ungodly   
hour of five forty in the morning the Juuban park peace and quiet never   
failed to draw the city romantics, seeking a relaxing stroll or an   
undisturbed make out session.   
  
The peace and quiet, as well as the calmness, tranquility and serenity   
(is it as corny as it seems?), however, had been lost upon a lonely   
sweat suit clad figure bulleting through the premises without sparing   
a single gaze at the rosy sky or the people entranced by its sight. Had   
the person been one of the efficiency addicts, accustomed to dismiss   
all feeling related ideas? Or, may be, the person's life had been too   
dismal or complicated to let the outside world affect them? Whatever   
the case might have been, the runner had been so intent on the tough   
task of breathing while maintaining the pace that...  
  
"Ouch. That hurt" - she complained sulkily. "Why don't the stupid trees   
watch where they grow their stupid roots? And do me a favor" - the girl   
added hastily, - "don't answer that one. I mean, I know that I'm   
talking to myself, and I'm not particularly keen on keeping it up."   
  
"Why aren't you, Meatball Head? Why delay the inevitable commission?"  
"May be, because I'm not ready to be committed just yet, Mister Insult   
Monster. And what did I tell you about questions?" - Serena threatened   
darkly, not even looking at him.  
  
Darien did not answer, as he was too busy contemplating the teenager   
that was still sprawled on the ground in front of him. Her pink suit   
was actually practical, and her meatballs were twice their normal size.   
  
What miracle had interrupted her favorite pastime, rousing her from her   
beloved pillow? He doubted that it had been a miracle of the good kind,   
although it was rather nice to set his eyes on the imp almost first   
thing in the morning... Oh, but wouldn't it be lovely if the pesky "almost"   
could be eliminated...  
  
Taking notice of the stretched silence, Serena raised her head to meet   
Darien's eyes, which she discovered to be oddly glazed and fixed on her   
form. Flabbergasted and befuddled couldn't even begin to describe the   
girl's state of mind, as she scrambled back to her feet. What was it with   
him these days? First he is almost caring, then seemingly riveted, and in   
a few he's ready again to mock her entirely too confused self.  
  
"Aren't you going to answer me?" - she questioned, frustrated both with   
herself for being too curious to just leave the staring offender, and   
with him for not going away in accordance with their routine, and   
making her wonder. "Are you day dreaming or what?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, it sure seems to be like it"  
  
Why, that little... Thinking she's caught me red handed, and, if that   
mischievous look in her eyes and that naughty smirk on her face are to   
indicate anything, attempting to use it against me... Well, two can play   
that game, mulled Darien.  
  
"Want to know what about?" - he inquired solicitously.   
  
"What?" - she breathed, his suddenly low and husky voice invading her   
very being and preventing any deliberation from crossing her mind.  
  
Got her, the young man cheered mentally, not forgetting to add an imagined   
smirking sound while schooling his chiseled features into the most suave   
and seductive expression that he had ever put on.  
  
"You" - Serena heard him announce, and couldn't help staring into the   
tormentor's eyes to try to figure out whether he was telling the truth;   
almost unable to avoid asking herself whether he was determined to give   
her a heart attack but recalling in the nick of a time that to do that   
meant to have the weird voice in her head speak yet again. Well, anyways,   
he couldn't have possibly meant it...  
  
"Being with you. Kissing you. Ravishing your sweet lips with mine."   
Darien punctuated each sentence with a meaningful pause, as if acknowledging   
each of them as some sort of sins. In reality, though, he merely desired to   
let his prey digest the words, so that they might get her as flustered as   
possible.   
  
That would teach the Meatball Head not to tease me, as well as not   
to mess up with my head, he grumbled inwardly. In all truth, it was well   
deserved on her part, if it were only for leaving him dumbfounded on that   
sidewalk just the day before, his brain reasoned; as his eyes were drinking   
their fill of Serena's embarrassed flush.   
  
"Will you let me do it, my sweet?"  
  
"Eventually"  
  
****************************************************************  
  
"What a way to turn the tables" - drawled Darien some three minutes   
later... He spoke aloud, although by then nobody was there to hear his   
words.   
  
Serena fled immediately after delivering the final strike of that peculiar   
clash and claiming another victory in their conflict. Oh hail, what a   
victory had that been! Twice the week already the impossible girl had   
left him all riled up and bothered, and with a promise rather than an   
insult! But then, rough treatment could have never got through his defenses...  
  
And Serena's soft promise had barreled right into the soul, blinding the   
eyes and bringing all movements to a halt, taunting the mind   
(and the body;) with images of her kisses: tender ones, quick and   
playful ones, ones that would be slow and passionate, or hard and   
impatient...  
  
Eventually, she said. When, Meatball Head? You had me longing the very   
moment the word had escaped these luscious lips of yours, and I doubt   
I can wait much longer...  
  
So two minutes after the encounter, there he was, physically rooted to   
the spot and floating high above cloud nine spiritually. Even a sharp   
ache in the chest failed to alert him to reality and the necessity of   
inhaling and exhaling exercise also known as breathing, and the ever   
calm and rational hero would have passed out had a merciful fellow   
jogger not decided to interfere.   
  
"Ain't ya gonna shut ya mowth?" - a sarcastic male voice bawled into   
Darien's ear, breaking into his reverie.   
"Oh... Ouch"  
"Gees, what a weirdo".  
  
His objective attained, the unknown savior shrugged his shoulders and   
resumed running, while Darien embarked on the chores of getting enough   
air into his lungs and stretching his back and arms muscles, sore and   
stiff from the strain of the newly discovered feelings towards Serena.   
  
"What a way to turn the tables".  
  
****************************************************************  
  
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up". Had Serena been ready to risk waking up   
half the still sleeping population of Juuban, she would have yelled the   
words for the world to hear; but being a considerate person she opted   
for saying it inwardly over and over again.  
  
"Firstly, I did not intend to turn the tables, and, secondly, I did   
not ask you anyway. It had been rhetorical question, you idiot. How   
many people answer their own rhetorical questions like "What have I   
done?" anyways?" - she fumed while continuing to dart away from the   
park as well as from the guy who had provoked the diatribe.   
"No, don't say anything. Shut up. I'm not listening to you. I don't   
hear you..." If an internal voice could ever be singsong, it would   
have been the voice Serena used on her mind's alien "tenant".   
  
"Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O, and on that farm he had a cow..."  
  
The way to Lita's had been a long one, and the pink clad runner had to   
resort to all the children songs she knew to keep her intruder at bay.   
  
It had started when she had awoken to see twilight skies glittering with   
starlight, a sight that, strangely enough, had beckoned the normally   
"non-morning" person to the bedroom window. It had been there where she   
had wondered about something, and got an unexpected reply from the faintly   
familiar voice in her head.  
  
Familiar or not, it had sent her into a running frenzy, which had ended   
with the misplaced root in the park, and the unsettling conversation with   
Darien that had not gone well with her raw nerves, eventually triggering   
the "childhood nostalgia".  
  
"On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave me five golden   
rings..." - Serena huffed under her breath swinging open the door to Lita's   
apartment.  
  
"Sere, where have you been? And..."  
  
"In the park and no more questions, remember? Now what's for breakfast?"  
  
"Whoa, you don't have to be so brusque about it. And we're having your   
favorites".  
  
"You're the best, Leets".   
  
A bear hug and a shower later, Serena plopped down on a kitchen chair.  
  
"Do you remember that poem Miss H. told us to learn by heart?"  
  
"Sere, are you ill?" Lita was absolutely horrified. The concept of this   
girl wanting to discuss a home assignment rather than consume her food had   
been foreign to her entire way of thinking, and she was unwilling to   
rearrange it just because of some stupid curse.  
  
"No of course not. But that poem is really romantic... And now, good   
morrow to our waking souls, that watch not at each other out of   
fear..." - recited Serena between the bites while her friend was staring   
at her, ignoring the delicacies set on the table.  
  
****************************************************************  
  
They had been half way through the first period, and by that time Serena's   
friends were fidgeting anxiously, as the girl in question sat rigidly with   
her eyes trained on the teacher's face and her ears pricked up to catch   
every word that was to leave Miss H's mouth. Never mind the fact that they   
had virtually commanded her to accomplish these very tasks; the performance   
surprised the studiousness even out of Amy, and for once the school genius   
was failing to pay attention to the class, driving herself insane with the   
plausible implications of the recent occurrences.   
  
Being a member of the worldwide teachers' league and having to abide by   
its unwritten conventions, Miss H. was bound to deliver a proper punishment   
for the offence of spacing out in spite of the fact that the target of the   
day had been more than unlikely.  
  
"Miss Mizuno, would you repeat my question?" (don't you hate it when the   
teachers act this way? I do, that's why I never do it;)  
  
"Um... Um..."  
  
Most of the pupils could not help giggling and chuckling at Amy's   
predicament, and it would have been anthemed and berhymed had a worthier,   
albeit, a more peculiar event not taken place.  
  
"Miss Haruna, may I answer the question" - chimed Serena earnestly.   
  
"Huh... Oh, yes" - stuttered the stupefied woman. "Yes, please".  
  
"X in the third degree function takes shape of two parabolas, one positioned in   
the array of positive Y values, and the other positioned in the array of negative   
Y values. When it is multiplied, its branches get farther from the Y axis; and   
when it is divided, its branches get closer to the Y axis".  
  
"That's enough" - interrupted the teacher. "Miss Osaka, would you continue?"  
  
"Thanks, Sere" - mouthed Amy, although her utterly horrified countenance belied   
her grateful words.  
  
After the lesson Miss H. called upon Serena to approach her desk.   
  
"I see you've managed to take rather good notes today, Miss Tsukino. I am  
quite pleased with that fact. I am also eager to see you apply the knowledge   
you've gained today".  
  
****************************************************************  
  
The third period. The lessons sure seemed to drag on and on. Not that it was   
something unexpected: the park encounter would have made anyone immensely puzzled,   
and, his usual diligence and other studies related qualities notwithstanding;   
Darien Chiba had not been different from the rest of the Earth's population.  
  
Male population, that is. Male, virile, and totally unable to resist beautifully   
blushing cheeks, invitingly pouting lips and low voices, delivering most enticing   
promises.   
  
Whoa, hold your horses. I've dealt with all of these before, and they have never   
had a slightest impact on me, least of all driven me to the point of tapping my foot   
restlessly through the classes.   
  
Then, his mind reasoned, it has to do something with the girl herself. Something   
about her lovely eyes that tugs almost forcefully at some soul strings whose   
existence had remained a secret until now. Something about each and every   
expression of her precious face that never failed to elicit an adequate response   
from me, no matter how hard I might try to avoid showing it. Something about her   
voice: no matter how eardrum shattering it becomes, it always captures my attention.   
Something about her fragile form, and the way her hair flickers in the sun...   
"Something in the way she moves attracts me like no other lover" - he recalled   
ruefully.  
  
Caught up in attempting to solve the mystery of his new fascination by his former   
strain reliever, Darien did not pay the due attention to his professor, who,   
unfortunately, had been myopic, and his favorite pupil's spiritual withdrawal had   
been lost upon him. To cut the long story, the professor approached Darien with a   
request to read the last words he had dictated, and the inexperienced daydreamer   
just sat there gaping, unable to neither comply with the request nor provide a good   
reason for not doing so.  
  
"Um... Mister Chiba, may I see your notes?"  
  
"Um... Here... But..." Not only had he failed to form a sentence of any kind, he   
also ended up blushing, his skin turning ridiculously maroon.  
  
"I see" - said the teacher after a short pause. "And what, pray tell, are you doing   
here, young man? Go get her!"  
  
"Oh... Umm... I think I will. After the class is over, that is".   
  
Although Darien salvaged what had been left of his pride by managing a somewhat   
smooth reply and a chuckle to top it off, the chuckle had been extremely uneasy if   
not embarrassed. For the last page in his notebook had featured nothing except a   
series of poorly drawn side-views of heads with two balls on their sides and two long   
streaks of hair trailing behind them.  
  
****************************************************************  
  
Are you intrigued? I guess you aren't, and I start feeling lonely and unloved. So R&R   
people. Puhleaaas deliver me from the impending writer's block. 


	6. Chapter IV

Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth  
Author: Helene  
E-mail: aishiteru@nightmail.ru  
Setting: First Season  
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of value, and this category includes the   
copyright to Sailor Moon.  
Author Notes: Whaaa, I killed my style just to finish this chapter. Now be   
good and e-mail me to make me feel better. Please?  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
"Where is she?" - he demanded, the voice rather high pitched with utmost   
frustration. Nobody answered, and that had not been the slightest bit   
surprising. It had already been dark, and, besides the disheartened   
Darien, there was not a living soul in the park.   
  
After the spacing-out-during-lecture disaster, the unfortunate youth's   
day had been steadily growing worth, and by the dusk he had come much   
closer to insanity than his dreams about the princess and quest for Silver   
Imperium Crystal could ever bring him. And all that was due to the one   
girl he tagged his nemesis.   
  
When the professor had announced the lesson to be over, he was ecstatic.   
He did not loose a second. He did not bother apologizing to the bemused   
teacher, like he should have. He did not pause to talk to his fellow   
students, like another would. He did not put on his beloved green jacket,   
opting for slinging it over the shoulder in order to save the precious   
milliseconds. And on top of all, he did not place the notes back into   
the briefcase, for once disregarding the habit born out of compulsive   
efficiency.  
  
Instead, he hightailed from the classroom as if chased by a pack of hounds,   
and if he managed not to leave a line of mowed bodies in his wake, it   
was due to the inborn supernatural abilities rather than watchfulness   
and care for his fellow humans. But, as he was in a hurry, this miracle   
was lost upon him just like the facts that it had been a marvelous day   
outside, that he needed to go to the library and return the books he   
had been carrying since morning, and that his car keys had been in the   
locker and not in the briefcase.  
  
Unexpectedly, the oblivion survived both the realization that a round-trip   
to the locker had been in order, and the trip itself. In fact, it lasted   
until he reached the arcade, fading only when the young man found out   
that Serena had yet to grace it with her presence.  
  
Donning a relaxed frown, Darien settled on his usual stool near the counter   
to converse with Andrew while awaiting the girl.   
  
Bad choice.  
  
Minutes were passing, the frown was deepening, and the astute keeper of   
the establishment, being a true friend, could not help making a concerned   
comment.  
  
"Problems at school, pal?"  
  
On the other hand, the same astute friend was also an immature   
college student, who just had to allude to his companion's superiority   
in school matters.  
  
"You do not want to hear about it" - groaned Darien.  
"Meaning, you do not want to talk about it" - said Andrew, - "which   
comes real close to hurting my feelings".  
"And here I thought that you have disposed of those bothersome   
hindrances."  
"I was serious, you know."  
  
Blond and blue eyed as he might be, teasing Andrew had been considerably   
less involving than teasing Serena. It did not stir animation, or the   
sensation of forbidden excitement Darien knew every time he confronted   
the girl in question.   
  
Not to mention that Andrew's reaction had not been as entertaining. He did   
not fume, groan, whine, or wail. He did not throw a witty or semi witty   
comment to counterattack. He simply turned away, unwilling to subject   
himself to the treatment. Just like everyone else.  
  
The frown turned into a full-blown scowl.  
  
"I want to help you."  
"I know." Darien attempted a conciliatory smile to placate his friend.  
"Then tell me what is going on."  
"OK. I don't suppose I can keep you from learning this lovely piece of   
gossip anyway. Today, during the Advanced Statistics class one Darien   
Shields had publicly demonstrated that he did not always hang onto each   
and every word of the teacher."  
"Oh..." Andrew could not think of the right words to console the dejected   
fellow. "Bummer."  
"Yep."  
"Do you want some coffee?"  
"I guess..."  
  
Having downed several cups of the black brew and spent about two hours   
chatting with Andrew, Darien realized that Serena was not going to make   
an appearance. The realization set his mind wheels to frantic motion,   
as it considered the places where he could find her.  
  
"Eureka" - he exclaimed, slapping the counter. "The shopping area!"  
"The shopping area?" - asked his friend.  
"Yea. That's where I can find her! Later, pal!"  
"Huh? Her?"  
  
The arcade's patrons could only shrug at Andrew's bewildered questioning.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Another couple of hours was wasted, as Darien was cruising the Juuban   
center until the shop-closing hour arrived. His hope to meet the girl,   
which had wreaked the havoc in his mind, was fading away, as he trudged   
gloomily to the last place to occur to his strained brain, the park.  
  
She was not there.   
  
"Where are you, Meatball Head?" - he whispered. "Where are you?"  
  
He declined to leave, waiting near the main entrance, watching the people   
leave the place. Twilight descended upon Tokyo, and the last bit of   
lightheartedness left his soul.  
  
"Where IS she?" - he demanded.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Shush, Leeta. Serena is asleep".  
"I can't say I'm surprised" - said Raye worriedly. "She acted as if she   
wanted to work herself to death!"  
"Yea" - agreed Leeta. "First she refuses to go shopping after school,   
insisting that we spend the whole afternoon doing our homework" - she   
told incredulously. "And when Amy" - she stressed, - "Amy says that it   
could wait she totally looses it and claims that she can not afford wasting   
the time!"  
"I would not have believed that the Meatball Head did not want to go   
shopping, had she not told us after whole three hours of studying that   
she wanted to train."  
"Indeed, it strikes me as highly alarming that Serena should display such   
determination in her studies and physical exercise, since it is entirely   
alien to her personality."  
"Do you have to sound so cryptic, Ames?" - groused Leeta.  
"I miss our Serena. The one who cares about us rather than the scout   
affairs" - elaborated the warrior of wisdom woefully.  
"Me too"  
"Me three..." - adhered Raye with a sigh.  
"Unbelievable!" - proclaimed Leeta with the greatest flourish she could   
muster. "The hard and resolved soul, belonging to the one person who always   
saw fit to remind Sere of her responsibilities, melts into a puddle of mush   
right as her wishes are finally being granted."  
"Oh shut up. Or, if you won't, tell us when you are going to follow her   
example and straighten up?"  
"You. Are. So." - said the strong brunette slowly, - "Aggravating!" The   
last word had been screeched on top of Leeta's voice. "I swear I would have   
pounced on you to claw your eyes had I not been so exhausted after sparring   
with Moon."  
"Who knew that such fragile little thing could harbor so much energy" - wondered   
inquisitive Amy. "She drained each of us before collapsing in that room."  
"And aren't you preoccupied with the fact that she had won each and every   
match?" - inquired Raye scathingly.  
"Why, Pyro, are you jealous?"  
"No, and do not call me that!"  
"Serena used to say that..."  
"She still does, you moron!"  
"Stop squabbling, girls" - interfered Amy. "You might wake Sere."  
"Wake up the Sleeping Beauty?"  
"Ames, I have to agree with the fire addict here, all this takes a horrible   
toll out of you."  
"Are you referring my mental capacity?"  
  
If one could label a yell "icy", that is what they would say about the   
intonation of Amy's last question.  
  
"I was just kidding."  
"I know, Leeta. Let's take her to your place and let her sleep. It seems   
to be the only way for her to be in peace."  
  
On the bed in the room next to the Great Fire Hall, belying the words of   
her clever friend, Serena was twisting, tossing and turning, moaning   
unfamiliar names and pleading pitifully with unknown forces.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
The arcade was being itself, packed with teenagers, and bustling with   
activity. The younger children swarmed around the videogames, while the   
elder ones were prattling idly in the booths, slurping sodas and spooning   
sundaes (ah, the things we do for alliteration sake :). In spite of the   
noisy hustle, the place was exuding placidity of long-established routine   
and custom. Now who could possibly resist the visitor-friendly setup,   
and not loosen up upon entering?   
  
Two persons. Two girls, to be exact. The duo was slouching in a booth near   
a window. Their expressions were lost, their faces pallid, and the slumped   
positions of their bodies reflected unparalleled weariness. Even the straws   
in their untouched milkshakes seemed to be drooping haggardly. From time to   
time one of them would sigh heavily, and the other would glance at her   
wristwatch. Then they would cast a brief look at each other grimly only to   
look away and continue moping.  
  
"It has been five days".  
"Uhum".  
"It's just not fair!"  
"Uhum".  
"We should have gone to the library with Meatball Head".  
"Uhum".  
"Aren't you gonna say something coherent?"  
"I'm just too tired, Raye. I am the one who has been jogging with her   
each and every morning".  
"Yea, well I've been the one to spar with her each and every   
afternoon!" - sniffled the other sore girl. "Plus, I had to give her all   
my comic books to keep her from dragging us to jog in the evening!" - she   
added as an afterthought.   
"And that is why she is out there in the library, looking for something   
new to occupy herself with" - supplied Leeta mockingly.  
"Uhum".  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
In the interim, an equally sore and weary Amy was enduring the company of   
the overly hyper and chipper Serena, and the task had proven formidable   
even for her. Not that she was developing dislike for her first friend   
and leader, or running out of tolerance. If anything, Amy's affection   
towards her troublesome charge was growing steadily, but with the greater   
affection came profound preoccupation with the way Serena had been behaving.  
  
She would still steep in every single activity she embarked on, but these   
days only a mere modicum of the activities had been about her old habits and   
fancies, like eating and shopping. She had given up daydreaming and gossiping,   
her crush on Andrew and her feud with Darien. Instead, she had taken to   
training till the utmost drain of energy, and reading everything in sight.   
When neither of these was possible, the girl would talk her company to headache.   
She was unable to sleep.  
  
Something was familiar about those symptoms. Something Amy had been unable to   
infer, which was the reason for her readiness to accompany Serena to the library   
and help her pick books. There was bound to be something on teenage psychology...  
  
"...and then there was that absolutely adorable turquoise tank top that I   
instantly craved and could not afford, so I just left the store and went   
home to..."  
"Serena, we're there."  
"Oh. Well, anyway, I went home..."  
"Sere, I hate to interrupt you, but if we are to enter the library we'd   
better remain quiet."  
"Sorry."  
"Don't be." Amy smiled. The wide eyed girl beside her had been dear to   
her in more ways than her keen wit could come up with, and she promised   
herself to do everything in her power to aid the poor thing to overcome   
whatever had happened. "Come, I'll show you where the adventure section is."  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Here she goes" - Serena murmured to herself, maintaining the intonations   
of an overzealous storyteller, - "sleek and silent, stalking purposefully   
through the treacherous passage towards her ultimate goal, closer and   
closer..."  
  
Amy had left her to her own devices, citing a need to procure some book   
with a long and barely intelligible title. And, instead of checking out   
novels, Serena, feeling like a pioneer in an unfamiliar land, fell to   
exploring the grounds, doing it in her most melodramatic mode: prowling   
rather than plainly walking, remembering to turn her head to the sides   
before taking every single step, and recounting her actions to imaginary   
audience.  
  
She was nearing the end of a corridor between bookcases when a casual   
glance in the direction of the reading area revealed something she was   
not ready to see. On a chair next to one of the tables, there hung an   
olive-colored jacket, belonging to the person she just could not face.  
  
Her first impulse had been to bolt out of the hall, but, having already   
whirled around, Serena halted. She could not just flee and miss the perfect   
opportunity to get a glimpse of him. The one that she had run from five   
days ago. The one to wreak havoc in her mind with his careless query. The   
one she needed to avoid at all cost.  
  
She turned to face the space surrounded by the bookcases, and fixed her   
eyes on the chair with the jacket. The wait was not long.  
  
In a couple of minutes Serena noticed the familiar lean figure striding   
to the seat. Tall, strong, and dignified, he appeared to be her direct   
opposite, but at the moment that piece of information seemed unimportant.   
Nothing seemed important, except watching Darien.  
  
Her lips pursed tightly together, her face became painfully taut, a bulky   
lump formed in her throat, and she felt something burning her left eye.   
A blink, and a fat tear slid down her cheek.   
  
Her chest grew heavy; then her stomach was pierced by a pang of sickening   
despondency. But she was unable to tear her stare from his form.   
  
Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder.  
  
"Are you all right?" - asked a soft voice next to her ear.  
"No" - answered Serena sobbingly, - "and I don't know if I will be".  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
The last four days had been terrible. He would set his alarm at four o'clock   
in the morning so as to be able to look for her in the park. Then he would   
sprint home in order to change, and haunt the corner where he used to collide   
with her before the arcade incident. Every day he would spend at least an   
hour and a half there, and, dejected due to her failure to appear, wander   
aimlessly in the streets or sit in front of the television in his living room.   
  
Around midday he would go to the arcade only to get plagued by solicitous   
Andrew, who did not even have the grace to tease him about inattention   
towards academic progress, or lack of love life. He would stay there till   
closure, and go home to mope.   
  
Those days Darien was eager for any kind of distraction, including a battle,   
but he did not even think of studying until the fifth morning, wasted in   
Juuban. Having waited half the customary time period at the corner, he   
realized that Serena had been determined to keep away from him, and that in   
order to see her again he needed to enlist the help of her friends.   
  
He would have hastened to Raye's that very moment had it not occurred to him   
that the girl had to be at school. And this thought had triggered a memory of   
a report that had to be submitted. The memory brought him to the city library.   
It was closer than the one at the university, he had reasoned, and he would   
not have to hurry when time to go to the temple finally came.  
  
Once at the library, Darien picked a place to sit, discarded his jacket, hanging   
it neatly over the chair, and went to gather the needed material. He returned   
with a pile of books, but, having sat down, he felt reluctant to start working.   
  
An alien sadness was tagging at his heart. It was not the usual sadness he would   
experience now and then, the one brought about by loneliness and uncertainty. It   
felt frighteningly hollow, as if a vital part of him had been withdrawn.  
  
Serena. She was the one he was missing, the one he had been looking for.   
He had never stopped to contemplate the reason for doing that, having been   
overwhelmed with longing and frustration to be rational.  
  
Until that moment in the library. When he had settled on the uncomfortable   
chair and opened one of the books, an image of her found its way unwanted   
into his mind. Dainty face, fair locks, delicate neck, and eloquent eyes,   
which would convey volumes in one single gaze. Pride, prudence, promise,   
patience, mischief, melancholy, misery, and so much more had been there   
when he really looked into them during those past days.   
  
None of them, however, was the emotion he wanted to find. In fact, what   
he wanted was more than an emotion, more than a sentiment. Rather, it was   
everything. He wanted everything to be there, and just for him, too. Her   
heart, her mind, her soul. Her brightness and her darkness, her smile and   
her tears, her words and her thoughts.   
  
He wanted everything, and that was fair, because that was exactly what   
he was willing to give her. Love.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Sere, would you like to talk about that?" - asked Amy, knowing full well   
that the girl would answer negatively but still needing it to confirm her   
theory.  
"No" - said Serena poignantly. "I'm sorry, Amy, but I'd rather not talk at   
all".  
  
They walked silently out of the library, each reflecting upon the day   
occurrences.   
  
Amy was deliberating the ways to help Serena cope with her mental condition   
and open up to her friends. And Serena...  
  
Serena kept visualizing Darien. She stored up everything: his enlivened eyes   
when he had been taunting her, his contrite look when she had attempted to   
coldly ward him off, his concern when he had met her after the quarrel with   
the scouts, the lascivious grin he had given her in the park.  
  
She did not even wonder why. She knew exactly. She remembered because she   
knew she would need to, that the memories would sustain her and save her from   
insanity, that she would cling to them for she could not cling to Darien   
himself.  
  
Would he scorn her if she mustered the spunk to tell him? Maybe, or may be he   
would not. Maybe, he would turn all concerned and sympathetic, like Andrew   
would.   
  
And there was a whit of chance that he would be receptive, wanting the same   
from her: to be with her, to lend her strength and courage, to brighten her days   
and fill her nights with delightful dreams, to lighten her sorrows and share her   
joy, and refuse to share her with the cruel reality, and forgive her all the   
teasing in the world.  
  
********************************************************************* 


	7. Chapter V

Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth  
  
Author: Helene  
  
E-mail: aishiteru@nightmail.ru  
  
Setting: First Season  
  
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of value, and this category includes the  
  
copyright for Sailor Moon.  
  
Author Notes: Whaaa, my old style refuses to be resurrected! It said that it would be better off in hell. What do I do?  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Love. So abstract as to imply mutually exclusive ideas, and yet so real that everyone claims to have experienced its sundry essences. Omnipresent and omnipotent, capable of rendering you helpless and helping you survive the moment of weakness.  
  
It cannot be ranked, or measured, as it is absolute. If love is what drives you at a given moment, you will not allow anything to interfere with your actions. It is arbitrary, which should inspire and discourage. And baffle when it accomplishes both feats.  
  
Its general existence can be neither determined nor disproved, not even by inventing euphemisms and epithets. You might call it devotion, brand it lust, consider it an emotion, or believe it to be a force, and the name won't make the slightest difference unless it underlies the real thing.  
  
Which is…  
  
"Well, well, well, long time no see, Mister Elusive" – sounded a sinister voice behind him. "Now when you are left to my tender mercy…"  
  
"Cut it out, Andrew" – said Darien tersely. "I'm not in the mood".  
  
"Your love life giving you troubles?" The blond student's eyes widened exaggeratedly, his teeth clenched in an attempt to stifle laughter.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"I need to pick up some books" – answered Andrew, deciding to respect his friend's unwillingness to venture his troubles.  
  
"And so you have skipped the afternoon class" – stated Darien.  
  
"And so lover boy seems to be unwary of time, dwelling on the virtues of his beloved". As usually, Andrew's gentlemanly side gave in to the more rewarding instinct.  
  
"How have you derived that, Sherlock?"  
  
"Easy. It's four thirty" – began Andrew smugly – "and you seem to assume that it is earlier. Also, the books in front of you are closed, which means you have not been working. The conclusion is… You're in love".  
  
"I have to get going. See you later".  
  
"Hey, Dare! Who is she?"  
  
Yet again, his query was not answered. Not at all surprising, considering the fact that he was friends with the most enigmatic person in Tokyo after Tuxedo Mask.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"What?" – she questioned huskily, her eyebrows going all the way up, and her mouth opening slightly to lend her the expression of a gaping fish that was dragged unceremoniously out its home. It would have been amusing had he witnessed the scene instead of enacting it, he mulled.  
  
"Did you…" – her pitch changed abruptly to a height no fanfiction writer would endow her with. "Did you just ask me that?!"  
  
Who knew that the girl had such a formidable pair of lungs.  
  
"I do not see why I shouldn't…"  
  
"You cad! You jerk! You egocentric…"  
  
"Would you please calm down…" – he supplicated, trying to reason with the fuming beauty.  
  
"Calm down?" – she interrupted incredulously. Her face went taut, the teeth clenched fast, the deep purple eyes seeming to sizzle with measureless rage.  
  
"Calm down!?" She snapped her fingers, making a broom appear in her hands. "You have the nerve of asking me, the girl which you've dated up until now, about the whereabouts of one of her best friends…"  
  
That's about it.  
  
"Stop yelling, Raye, and hear me out…" – he attempted only to be intercepted much more violently.  
  
"No, you hear me out" – shouted the girl, wielding her weapon of choice and advancing at him.  
  
Feeling the blood leave his face, and the legs turn into unmovable columns, Darien shut his eyes bracing himself for the impact, knowing that he would rather get the penalty over and done with than participate in one of the infamous chases around the shrine as Raye's prey.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Ouch" – a female voice squeaked from somewhere below. "Do you wear an armor under that jacket?" – she inquired earnestly, effectively shattering his daymare about a pest off priestess.  
  
He sighed, a fluttery relief inflating his chest and tugging at the corners of his lips as he bent the neck to look down at his counterpart. What he saw there, however, made him gasp with astonishment.  
  
"Serena, what have you done with your hair? Did you cut it? Was it because of my teasing? Oh, God, Sere, I'm so sorry" – he gushed at the girl, coldness creeping into his heart at the thought of his teasing hurting her so badly as to make her part with her beloved hairstyle.  
  
She raised her head to regard the guy with the steel hard muscles, and encountered a wavering gaze of the most gorgeous dark blue eyes. There was something about it that she could not quite place; something that should have appeared entrancing yet evoked nothing except a sincere compassion. Entrancing or not, however, those murderer looks were meant to be appreciated no matter how confusing their owner was.  
  
"One should not tease one's girlfriend's hair, but I would surely have forgiven you, handsome" – she announced alluringly and batted her eyelashes to add to the seduction efficiency. "So why mope about her when you can have me?" The girl sprang to her feet and twirled about a few times to give him an opportunity to examine her figure.  
  
Darien chuckled at the teen's antics, although it came out mirthless, since it was not Serena who bumped into him the time when he needed it to be her.  
  
"I'm sorry, miss" – he began ruefully, - "but…"  
  
"You're really taken with that girl, Serena. All the good ones are taken with somebody else" – she complained, not wanting him to grow even sadder. "And here I believed that I had found my knight in shining armor" – she joked to ease the tension and distract the forlorn young man.  
  
"Oh, I'm nothing like that" – admitted Darien graciously.  
  
"Well you should be" – admonished the blond sternly, - "at least around her".  
  
"Hmm" – he drawled, and then a wide grin itched its way onto his face. "I think I could swing that one".  
  
"Good hunting, than. Come on, Artemis" – she instructed cheerfully and went on her merry way, leaving the preposterously happy Darien behind.  
  
"Yep" – he affirmed, nodding his head vigorously, - "I could definitely swing it despite the fact that I don't have an armor. And the best part is that I won't have to face Raye, not as Darien, anyway".  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Void? No, not anymore.  
  
Exhilarated?  
  
Stressed out?  
  
No.  
  
Raw. "Raw" was the answer.  
  
She felt raw. "Raw" as in painfully exposed to the emotions that plagued her: love, fear, compassion, anxiety, restlessness… "Raw" as in inexperienced, untrained to deal with them. "Raw" as in chill and alarming.  
  
Serena could not help giving in to the self-commiseration spree. Her carefree life had not prepared the girl to cope with most kinds of misfortunes excluding having to struggle with school and gravity. It had been going easy on her up until she had met Luna, who brought about the unwelcome responsibility of fighting, waking up almost on time, and braving the homework.  
  
She wanted things to change back, way back to the glorious times when all she had to preoccupy herself with was spending time with her friends, maneuvering through the classes and seeking delightful interruptions of the mundane routine.  
  
No.  
  
She drew a slow breath.  
  
Sometimes a person did not want to be reminded of the truth. In fact, they did not wish to be aware of the pesky nuisance, yearning to put it behind and push it somewhere dark and cramped. That is why it was so unfair that she should pick up the snooty nonsense of an inner voice, or whatever such things were called.  
  
But since she had, the truth was to be acknowledged. And the truth was that she would not renounce her newly found friends and love, or waive the ability to help people… in distress.  
  
Note to self, she thought grimly. Lay off maiming winged words, even for the purposes of dark humor. It certainly did not do much for a person's reputation, and hers could not endure any more blows.  
  
Inhale. Exhale. Such safe words to think to oneself. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale…  
  
"Serena! Serena?"  
  
An urgent voice jolted her out of reiterating her brand new mantra.  
  
"Yes Raye?" Serena's reaction was uncharacteristically quiet, and the other girls flinched at the resignation in her tone.  
  
"Don't you want to do something? Train, spar, do the homework? Go mall trolling?" – prodded Raye gently, allowing Serena to answer with a simple "yes" or "no", but hoping openly to elicit some additional information.  
  
"No, not really. But I shall spar anyway" – said the subdued girl, wanting to discard the disagreeable thoughts and shake off the distressful feelings.  
  
Not the best motives to embark on anything, she mused reaching out for her broach.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
One of the good things about being a superhero, unfairly pushed to the sidelines by anonymity and supreme fighting skills, was the ability to ascend outrageously long stairs in several graceful bounds. It also helped that people, not endowed that way by the whimsical fates, tended to eagerly leap to one's assistance. Sometimes, however, those people were prone to forget about the world's well being for the sake of attending to their own interests, effectively impeding the progress of the aforementioned superheroes.  
  
Being ordinary people they could not perceive the urgency of one's situation, and instead of answering one's questions asked him to stay for autograph hand out, appear at some fundraiser, or offer the young female visitors to join a temple staff. In such cases, the beggars, even if the person was an elderly priest, were to be politely dismissed, and the hero was to stomp off exploring the grounds on his or her own, leaving the civilian population to stare after him, shrug and resume their previous occupation.  
  
That is why that formerly uneventful afternoon found Tuxedo Mask treading gruffly about Hikawa Shrine premises, muttering profane comments regarding over-industrious God ministers and their lack of common courtesy. He was halfway through searching the quarters when he heard a familiar voice cry out in anguish.  
  
"Sailor Moon? Here?" – he whispered incredulously before sprinting out of the house. Finding nothing of the slightest resemblance to a raging battle or a monster on a rampage, he tore to the other side of the building to bear witness to the most appalling scene.  
  
Two of the scouts, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury, were lying haplessly on the lawny earth of the backyard, and alongside them Sailor Mars was strangling Sailor Moon, while the weakened girl clutched the suffocating arm and flailed her legs to escape the nearing demise.  
  
"How dare you betray your own cause, behaving toward your leader and combat fellows this rankly!" – shouted Tuxedo Mask, flinging a serrated rose at the offending scout's arm. "Friendships akin to hers are meant to be revered and cherished, not abused and double-crossed" – he continued, covering the distance between him and Sailor Moon in one stupendous leap. Having landed, he made a move to sweep the warrior into his arms and away from the raving fire avatar, who was busy cradling her injured forearm.  
  
Two small hands gripped his collar, hauling his head down so that he meet two shards of summer sky shooting sparks of sheer wrath. He had never looked straight into her eyes, and the first time was turning out to be quite interesting.  
  
"What are you doing here?" – demanded the leader of the scouts as the rest of the girls, including Sailor Mars, came to stand next to her.  
  
"I…" – he wavered, not knowing how to explain his presence, or the skirmish between the team members.  
  
The small hands gave a might shove, and the formidable Tuxedo Mask went sprawling to the ground. Two legs straddled his waist, and the hands pushed at his chest. The breathing became labored, and it remained to be enucleated whether the hands or the legs hampered it.  
  
"How did you find us? Had you spied on us while we had been detransforming?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Than how come you knew where to find us?"  
  
"I had felt you transform and followed the pull?" – he volunteered tentatively, his voice going slightly up in the end of the phrase to indicate lack of ascertained knowledge.  
  
"No, you had not" – said Sailor Moon, whose mind had apparently interpreted Tuxedo Mask's last sentence as a question addressed to her. "You do not feel me transform. You can only sense where I am when I am in danger, and there is no danger for me to train with the scouts".  
  
"How do you know that?" – queried the awed man.  
  
Immediately, a gloved hand clamped to the pigtailed hero's mouth.  
  
"She won't answer" – informed Sailor Mars firmly. "Sailor Moon" – she proceeded in a milder tone, - "will you wait inside while we interrogate him?"  
  
Sailor Moon moved her head from side to side wildly and flailed her arms, trying to manifest extreme displeasure with the situation.  
  
"What is it, Sailor Moon?" – asked Sailor Mercury, struggling to keep her hand on the squirming scout's mouth. "Do you want to say something?"  
  
Sailor Moon nodded.  
  
"Do you deem it is safe to say it in his presence?"  
  
Sailor Moon nodded again, and Sailor Mercury withdrew the hand.  
  
"Tuxedo Mask, I know those things about the bond between us since my mother had been the one to establish it when we had become engaged".  
  
"Who am I?" – blurted the befuddled young man before it occurred to anyone to prevent him from speaking.  
  
"You are prince Endymion of Earth, my protector and fiancé" – she responded, seemingly as astounded at the revelation as her newly found betrothed and her earlier found friends. "We used to be together, but I…" – Sailor Moon's voice faltered, - "I just can't love you anymore" – she cried out, getting to her feet and making a few quick steps in the direction of the building.  
  
Tuxedo Mask tried to go after her but Sailor Jupiter caught him by his cape.  
  
"You've done enough damage for one day" – informed Sailor Mars scathingly. "And you are still to advise us on the reasons of your barging in on our training".  
  
"Do you think she had been telling the truth?" – he asked pleadingly, the stormy eyes fixed at the girl's face as if to read the facts there, the stance got rigid and alert.  
  
His heart was virtually pummeling against his ribs. His lungs were sore from the quickly forced sniffs and the forceful exhaling. His head swelled, making it difficult to watch his counterparts. He felt weakened and frighteningly exposed, and there were also great many other sensations none of which could be described as relief that he should have felt at having finally learned a whit of something about himself.  
  
"Yes, Tuxedo Mask, she most certainly was" – said Sailor Jupiter taking mercy on the fitful guy.  
  
"It is impossible for her to lie about something this important" – confirmed Sailor Mercury.  
  
"But you, her not-so-dear protector" – began Sailor Mars evilly, - "still owe us quite a bit, and I doubt you might be willing to really talk to us, or apologize for the macho stunt you've pulled here. So there's just one thing for you to do" – she paused for the dramatic effect and lunged at him. "Run".  
  
And run he did, dashing towards the entrance of the shrine without a single thought about the irony of having avoided being chased by Raye only to get into the very predicament with not much meeker and much more threatening Sailor Mars. These had been stored to ponder at a later hour after having contemplated his newly disclosed identity.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Oh, yea. Last minute author notes. Need reviews. Need e-mail. Need feedback. Need another vacation. Oh, no. I'm pretty much doomed since I'm unlikely to get any of the wishes, am I? 


	8. Chapter VI

Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth  
Author: Helene  
E-mail: aishiteru@nightmail.ru  
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)  
Genre: Romance  
Timeline: First Season  
Summary: It is Sailor Moon's turn to be cursed by a monster. As a   
result Serena can not help admitting the truth, the whole truth and  
nothing but the truth, to the others as well as to herself. What  
havoc will ensue, and how will Darien react?  
Major couple: Serena and Darien  
Author Notes: I finally owe some people my eternal gratitude for  
writing me about this story. You know who you are, guys, don't you?  
I affraid to list your names for the fear of forgetting someone,  
but you are the ones who inspired me to write this chapter.  
Disclaimer: I am well aware of my own state of austerity. I can't afford   
a Ferrari, tuition, or Sailor Moon. Thank God I still retain the   
imagination.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
It was humbling, even humiliating. The valorous Tuxedo Mask had been   
intimidated by a scout. He, who had faced all the Negaverse generals,   
took off running to escape the ire of Sailor Mars. She chased him to   
the gate, and watched gloatingly as he was stumbling down the stairs.   
And when he risked a glance in her direction, the high-heeled warrior   
waved her hand and leapt away. He could tell that she was mocking him.   
But that was the least of his current concerns.  
  
The princess was there from the very beginning. She had not told him,   
but he knew that she was the one to summon his assistance, she was   
one who needed the Silver Crystal, and she was the one who fought   
alongside him. She was the one who had received his kiss at Dia Embassy   
ball.  
  
She entranced him that day, standing alone in that crowded ballroom   
with a sad pout and downcast eyes. He forsook his duty, and succumbed   
to the compelling need to try and cheer her up. When he was leaving,   
he felt that his quest was accomplished notwithstanding the fact that   
he failed to retrieve the Crystal. His quest was accomplished: the   
girl was smiling serenely. Back then she had been smiling because of   
his kiss.  
  
What could have changed? What could have made her recoil, and claim   
that she could not love him? Given their newly discovered history,   
it had to be something extraordinary. Did she find someone else to   
love? Although the thought dealt him a sickening pang, his conscience   
was quick to remind that she had every right to do so, just like he   
had every right to be enamored with the exciting Meatball Head.   
  
The elusive Meatball Head, who had yet to be found, he remembered.   
Prince of Earth or not, he refused to waste another moment moping   
about other candidates for his tender affections. Love was never   
about elections, considerations, and decisions. Love was totalitarian,   
and he could do nothing but surrender to its rather violent pull.  
  
With that thought, Tuxedo Mask started walking purposefully back towards   
the shrine. He would wait at the gate to ascertain the scouts' departure,   
detransform, and go talk to Raye. He could endure thousand chases in   
order to just get a glimpse of his one and only.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
How often does a girl see a live pursuit of her favorite male superhero   
by one of her favorite super heroines and friends? How often does she   
opt for checking up on her other friend rather than enjoying the   
exceptional show? Hardly ever, and much too often, that's what most of   
us, middle-class-morality-conscious people would answer. As to Sailor   
Mercury and Sailor Jupiter, they had witnessed enough chases, initiated   
by Raye, to last them the three hours before the next one would undoubtedly   
commence. Therefore their reaction confined to half-hearted shrugs and   
rolled eyes. Those deeds accomplished, they slipped through the door,   
detransformed, and went to look for Serena, intrigued by her recent   
revelations and craving for more information.  
  
"Serena."  
"Sere, where are you?"  
"Serena, don't you hear us?"  
  
They searched the Great Fire Hall, the small lounge, and, of course,   
the kitchen. Having found no traces of their missing leader, Amy and   
Lita ventured into the Holy of Holies, namely, Raye's bedroom. The sight   
that greeted them made the two immediately forget both the interest, and   
the craving.  
  
Sailor Moon was on the floor, huddled up against the futon, her neck bent   
way backwards. Her arms were tightly embracing her knees, and her shoulders   
were quivering with uncontrollable sobs. Her face was ashen; her eyes were   
wild. But the most alarming detail was the fact that there was no trace of   
moistness on her cheeks. She was unable to cry, or even cry out.  
  
"I can't," she kept chanting. "I can't, I can't."  
  
They would rather see her pig out, and vigorously punch buttons of video   
games. Depressed, whining, wailing, but not like this; not haunted by   
unnamable emotions and undistinguishable fears. How often were they allowed   
choice over such matters? Never.  
  
Amy kneeled, and reached a hesitant hand to touch Serena.   
  
"Serena... Serena," she wavered, for once not knowing what to say. "Serena,   
please... We can work it out, we always do..."  
"You can't," whispered the broken scout.   
"Yes we can," said Amy, her voice growing a whit steadier. "We can listen,   
and offer support. Do not shut us out. I promise, we won't hurt you. We won't   
tease you, or cross you in any way, and, no matter what you tell, we won't   
think less of you."  
"You won't?"  
"We won't," assured Lita, not understanding Amy's course of action but   
following it out of sheer faith in the group genius.  
  
Serena lowered her chin, and signed.  
  
"I can't love Endymion," she began quietly, "I know I can't. I can't love   
the two of them," she stressed with growing anguish.  
"We understand, and I'm sure that Tuxedo Mask will understand as well.   
There's nothing for you to worry about, Sere," coaxed Lita.  
"It's not like that, is it, Serena?" asked Amy, sudden understanding   
lighting up her face. "You are not saying that you do not love Tuxedo Mask.   
Rather, you can't believe that you still love him, and you're dismayed that   
you should love two different persons, aren't you?"  
"Hey, and who is that alleged other guy, Sere?" gushed Lita playfully.  
"Leets," reproached Amy, faltering when a ghost of a smile appeared on   
Serena's pale lips.  
"Darien," exhaled the haggard girl, "I love Darien, I've just realized it,   
but I can't help loving Endymion as well. And I don't even know how he   
looks!"   
"And what about that truth thingy? Doesn't it tell you who's the one?"  
"No," grimaced the blond. "This one time when I could have used it this   
'truth thingy' does not work."  
"Well, Serena, that just means that your heart is large enough to equally   
cherish two worthy young men, and that does not surprise me at all."  
"Ames, you did not have to lecture her, you know!"  
"Sorry, just a habit. But right now I'm dying to learn something." She paused   
for increased melodramatic effect. "Darien?"  
"Darien," answered Serena, the fond memory tugging at her mouth and, for   
the moment, pushing the agony of the doubt aside. "Remember when I went   
jogging the morning after the last battle?"  
"Oh yea. That was when you first freaked us all out with your training,   
and studying, and waking up in ungodly hours."  
"Well, that's when I met him in the park, and he went all suave and seductive   
on me, and I really could not help wanting to kiss him. In fact, he made me   
promise that I would. Then I hightailed it away from him, but there was that   
creepy voice in my head, bugging me about the guy and my life in general."  
"And you took on every little task that could distract you from deliberating   
the guy, the life, and the terrifying voice."  
"Yes, but how did you know, Amy?"  
"We were worried about your newly adopted life-style, Serena, and I looked   
up your symptoms in a psychology book. One of the most likely causes of   
such symptoms is denial, reduction of anxiety by unconscious exclusion   
from the mind of intolerable thoughts, feelings, or facts. Your way of   
fighting the intolerable thoughts and feelings included committing yourself   
to mind-numbing physical activities, or keeping your mind on other things,   
like books or classes."  
"Huh?"  
"I was afraid to day-dream, so I decided to train and study instead,"   
elaborated the embarrassed leader of the scouts, making a face in the   
end of the sentence. "Not that it made much difference. I mean, my marks   
never strayed higher that a B-. I could never understand why teachers   
insist on drilling the material into students' brains. I mean why not   
let them find the truth themselves?"  
"May be they think that all their students are meatball-headed," smirked   
Sailor Mars from the doorway. "Now let's stop grousing, and go have some   
ice-cream, now that your sordid secrets have been exposed, and your   
train-and-study craze has been dealt with." With those words, she entered   
the room, becoming Raye in between the steps, pulled Serena to her feet   
and herded the girls out of the Temple.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Camping out in trees definitely had its advantages, he decided. Trees   
shadowed one from the warmth of the sun, which was a crucial factor for   
a person, garbed in a tuxedo. Trees had green leaves, which were a pleasing   
sight for one's sore eyes. Trees afforded solitude, and seclusion, allowing   
one to ... erm... think without being interrupted.   
  
Trees sprouted branches, making one bend his body in most unnatural ways.   
But that irksome detail was not to interfere with his plan. He would hide   
in the tree until the scouts leave the Shrine. Then, and only then, he would   
climb the rest of the steps, and face Raye's rancor.   
  
Trees had another disadvantage. They had an aggravating tendency to bore   
their guests to the point of listening to the birds chirping out there, and   
actually trying to find a meaning behind the sound. Not being and ornithologist,   
he would have fallen asleep, if he had not heard familiar voices, belonging   
to the girl that he wanted to cherish, and the girl that he could not help   
dreading.  
  
"Raye," pleaded Serena with an appropriately placed whine, "just how much   
have you heard?"  
"Everything..." snorted the priestess derisively. "Darien this, and Darien   
that..."  
  
Agitation made his heart go aflutter, and his head swim. She still hated him;   
she still complained about him. It did not make any difference that she has   
not seen him for an unthinkable period of time; her dislike has not   
diminished.   
  
"But Raye, how can you take this so calmly?"  
"Do you want me to throw a fit, or maybe have a couple of kittens? I would   
have thought that Luna is more than enough to keep you on your toes."  
  
Throw a fit? Why would Raye throw a fit over Serena's complaining, he   
wondered. Unless... Unless Serena was not complaining... Unless she had   
confessed something... a secret of the heart...  
  
His heart was still fluttering, and his head was still swimming, but in   
those moments they were doing so out of unbearable joy rather than mournful   
hoplessness. A surge on adrenalin, triggered by his last idea, helped him   
leave the tree, make the way to the beginning of the staircase, and   
detransform. Seconds later, a flushed Darien started climbing back.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"I still think that chocolate ice-cream should be eaten with at least one   
strawberry or lemon cone," ranted Lita, "so that there be a sourer taste   
together with the chocolate sweetness. I don't understand..."  
  
"What is it, Lita?" asked Amy, lagging behind with her psychology book.   
She rounded a staircase corner to see that all her friends stood rooted   
to their respective spots, and Serena was glued to Raye's arm. "Why did   
you... Darien? Darien, what are you doing here?"  
"Can't I come and visit?"  
"After a whole week of neglecting me?" exclaimed Raye, feigning irritation.   
She made a step towards Darien, and gave him a menacing look. She might have   
actually intimidated the youth if he weren't busy drinking his fill of her   
blond companion. "I don't think so. In fact, I don't think that I want to   
date you anymore!"  
"Oh... Erm..."  
"What is it, Mr. chick magnet, can't handle being rejected?" piped up Serena   
with a little grin, which could really be attributed to neither evil gloating   
nor heartfelt cheer.  
"Not by you," blurted out Darien, earning pole-axed stares from all the girls   
plus a bonus blush from Serena. "Can I talk to you in private?"  
"Yes, you can."  
"No, you can't."  
"Wow, if you did not contradict each other I would believe you two to be   
twins or something," he joked nervously. I would do no good if he were to   
have a row with her friends. She loved and depended on them so much that   
their disapproval could cost him all he hoped to have. "But why do you   
object, Raye? You have just broken up with me, so you shouldn't be jealous."  
"I am not. But I don't want to leave Serena alone with you at the moment."   
"You may speak with her in our presence," suggested Amy.  
"It is personal," he accentuated reproachfully.  
  
She couldn't help gaping at him. It was the first time that she saw him this   
close since their meeting in the park. He looked tired, exhausted. But his   
beautiful eyes never seemed so precious; because it was the first time that   
they brimmed with furious emotions, intent and unsteady, aware and lost. She   
gazed at him, feeling a light of tenderness kindle in the tips of her fingers   
and toes, her ears, her eyes, and, most importantly, her heart.  
  
"Why not?" she whispered.  
"Do you want to tell him?" questioned Raye disbelievingly.  
"Yes. Yes, I do," came the quiet answer.   
  
The girls were shell-shocked. Their leader, who had appeared so   
uncharacteristically and unhealthily reasonable even an hour ago, was   
ready to share their secret with a civilian. They realized that Serena   
was in love with Darien, but that alone did not justify telling him   
the truth, since too many other factors and aspects were involved. For   
one, the Negaverse could somehow use Darien to disclose their identities.   
Also, he could attempt helping the scouts, and get hurt in the process.   
Telling him the truth was definitely unthinkable.  
  
"No," stated Amy firmly. Raye and Lita glanced apologetically at Serena,   
stepping forward as if to shield her.  
"Why?" cried out the desperate Darien. "What is this great secret of   
yours that you don't want to share with me?"  
"Oomph."  
"Why does this picture look familiar?" he muttered under his breath.  
  
In front of the thoroughly confused protagonist two teenage brunettes   
stood in fighter stances, and their normally peaceful blue-headed comrade   
was trying to gag his Meatball Head with her bare hand. The tableau   
should have looked peculiar, asinine, or unhygienic, but there was not   
reason for it to appear familiar. However, it was not the time or the   
place to ponder the nature of deja vues. He had a girl to conquer.   
  
"Girls, I do not care to learn your secret, whatever it is," he began,   
barely managing to disguise the tremor in his voice. "I'm willing to offer   
my assistance in helping you cope with whatever problems you face, but I   
won't insist on doing anything against your will, and I won't ask any   
questions. Please understand that right now I just want to talk to Serena."   
  
His plea was greeted with silence. Serena's friends relaxed their alert   
muscles, and turned heads to exchange hesitant glances. They did not know   
how to approach the issue. There were numerous ample reasons for them to   
deny Darien's request, and there was Serena, anxiously waiting for their   
positive answer.  
  
"We need to discuss your offer," said Amy. "Let us go back to the Shrine.   
Darien, you may wait here until we decide on a course of action."   
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Anybody there? Hello? I'm feeling kind of lonely and   
neglected and forgotten and forlorn... What do you mean you're not   
my psychiatrist? 


	9. Chapter VII

Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth  
Author: Helene  
E-mail: aishiteru@nightmail.ru  
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)  
Genre: Romance  
Timeline: First Season  
Summary: It is Sailor Moon's turn to be cursed by a monster. As a   
result Serena can not help admitting the truth, the whole truth and  
nothing but the truth, to the others as well as to herself. What  
havoc will ensue, and how will Darien react?  
Disclaimer: Tired. Famished. Parched. Unattached. And still no Sailor   
Moon rights. I guess being a saint does not count when it comes to   
copyright law.  
  
Chapter VII  
  
"OK, I've had it. Rule number one - no using puppy eyes."  
"But Raye..."  
"I said no!"  
"But how am I supposed to convince you to let me come with Darien?"  
"Some logical reasons should do the trick."  
"There are no logical reasons."   
  
The brilliant hope in Serena's eyes dimmed to a feeble flicker, and   
she had to struggle not to look away in embarrassment.   
  
"So you are ready to jeopardize our cause when there is not a single   
good reason for you to do so?"  
"I love him. Is that not good enough?"  
"But Sere, you've said you love Tuxedo Mask too. Have you already chosen   
Darien over your dream guy?"   
"No, Leets. Whatever made you think I had?"  
"You are so desperate to leave with him that I thought..."  
"I can't help loving them both, and wanting to be with them both."  
"You can't be with both of them. Eventually you will be bound to   
choose," remarked Amy.   
"And if I spend time with one of them, and then choose another,   
the first one will be hurt," said Serena in a frighteningly hollow   
voice.   
"Oh no, you don't, Meatball Head," exclaimed Raye, opening the door,   
and pushing Serena through. "Don't come back before ten!" she added,   
swinging the door shut in her best friend's face.  
"Why?"   
"Why, Ames, and I firmly believed you to be the wisdom of this party."  
"Why?"  
  
Raye sighed, discarding the flippant smirk she had put on to distract   
the other girls.  
  
"I wouldn't cope with her being that sad again. The sight of her back   
then in my bedroom," she wavered, "it made me physically sick. I had   
to do something, anything to make it better."  
"That's why you broke up with Darien, isn't it?"  
"It did not seem that great a sacrifice."  
"And now?"  
"It stings, but I know I would have done the same had I been given an   
opportunity."  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Raye!" cried out Serena, pounding at the door. "Raye!"  
  
Slamming her fists at the wooden surface one last time, she leaned her   
forehead at the obstacle to the haven of her sanity. One single question   
echoed in her head, one single question that the mysterious voice could   
not, or would not answer. One single question she truly needed to resolve.  
  
Why? Why did she have to love two different people? Why was she being   
forced to choose between them? Why was she condemned to hurt one of them?   
Why?  
  
"Did you two fight?" asked an earnest voice from behind.  
"No." Serena gulped, struggling to suppress the impending tears before   
turning to face Darien.  
"Then why did she lock you out?"  
"She didn't want me to be sad. I've been depressed lately..."  
"Well, I'm glad she did," he declared, mentally willing her not to dwell   
on unpleasant things. Whatever had been going on, the consequences were   
devastating. Her voice was weak and actually quiet, her chin was almost   
touching her collarbone as if she were ashamed, and her drawn features   
retained no exuberance, which they had been radiating only days before.   
He had his work cut out for him, he realized, but that would not daunt him.  
  
"You're smiling." Serena sounded strangely awed; her eyes were fixed on   
his face, and her mouth slightly open.  
"I am?"  
"Yea, like a madman," she confirmed with a small smile of her own, "but   
you never smile that way!"  
"Don't I?"  
"No. You smirk, grin, laugh, but never, never just smile."  
"Oh, but I do. It's just that you're never around to see it. Now why don't   
we take this somewhere else? This way we shall spare your friends having to   
hurt each other, fighting for the perfect place at the keyhole."  
"Why do you think they are spying on us?"  
"Would you?"  
"Yes," she grumbled, and he reveled at the spark of emotion. "Do you have   
to ask embarrassing questions?"  
"Do you have to answer them?"  
"Yes, I do. I'm under a truth spell, you see, and there's no question I would   
not answer. That's why the girls where so adamant in demanding that you don't   
ask anything."  
"Then I won't," he conceded, attempting to reinstate the smile that seemed to   
have such auspicious affect, "Shall we?"  
  
With those words Darien extended a hand, and looked at her expectantly.   
  
Serena threw a hesitant glance at his face, and bowed her head apparently to   
give a thorough once over to a stray leave, which, like Darien himself, had   
miraculously escaped the wrath of Raye's broom.   
  
The leave was moderately green, edged with ochre, a stain of color against   
the drabness of the stair; a gentlest breeze was playing with the leave's   
luckier siblings that still retained the connection with the springs of their   
life; the white-hot sun was hanging loose, lingering just above the edge of   
the horizon, and Darien was standing there, ignoring much more that those in   
favor of watching Serena's dainty face grow pink.  
  
Finally, a small hand carefully touched his fingers, and he readily held it.   
Warm and slightly moist, it was so tiny and frail that he handled it with   
such soft care as if it were a newborn fledgling, entrusted to his safekeeping.   
The sprightly Meatball Head herself at that moment resembled a fledgling,   
timid and curious, shy and instinctively trusting.  
  
Another guy out of another romantic story might have melted at such reaction,   
feeling flattered beyond words, protective beyond comparison, and important   
beyond Nobel prize-holders. He would have suavely put the hand to his lips,   
and bestow upon its undoubtedly lovely owner a reassuring smile that would   
have shocked her into silently awaiting his kiss.  
  
Darien, being none other then himself, was being torn between relief,   
concern, and horror. Elated at the sweeping success of his initial plan, he   
panicked at a belated thought of not being prepared for its next stage, and,   
although he was overjoyed at being able to be near Serena, her subdued   
demeanor made him wish she yelled at him.  
  
The worst thing, though, was that he did not know what to say, or do next.   
Teasing was obviously out of the question, any pleasantry would have just   
sounded wrong, and so the tense silence between them could be easier cut   
with a razor-tipped rose than words. Of course there was always the   
possibility of simply confessing his love, but, let's face it, even the   
perfect guys out of other romantic stories do not go around risking his   
feelings being tramped on.   
  
Therefore, in the end he opted for tugging at her hand, and quietly steering   
her towards the park.   
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Feathery fire, that was what his touch felt like, both soothing her depression,   
and, at the same time, burning into her skin. When his hand had closed half the   
distance between them, showing his intent to hold hers, all her senses had been   
overwhelmed with nervous excitement, which had changed to excited nervousness   
as soon as it had occurred to her that she had had to call the final shot. A   
dozen fears had raced through her head, and it'd taken all her courage to   
dismiss them and move her arm.  
  
But it was worth it. His warmth was making her feel calm, content, and happy,   
so she closed her mind to all worries to quietly walk beside the apple of her   
eye, the technical details such as the fact that he was not the only one   
temporarily put aside.   
  
The last rays of the setting sun were caressing her face; the breeze flew   
through her hair; the roses were drinking in the pleasant evening, and   
everything was so much nicer now that Darien was there with her. Of course   
the reason of his being there had yet to be cleared, but it did not really   
matter as long as he held her hand.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
They wandered along the alleys, careful not look at each other, or jar their   
joined hands, and oblivious to everything but the satisfying sensations,   
swelling inside them. Their feet familiarity with the paths prevented them   
from straying to the trees, other strollers, being better trained in walking   
with their heads in the clouds, took it upon themselves to sidestep our favorite   
lovebirds, and even the normally noisy children and teenagers toned down their   
activities.  
  
That one time, the nature proved to be less sympathetic than the humans, and   
even the Negaverse, for it was the only one to blame for ruining the golden   
chain of precious moments Serena and Darien had been blissfully creating. The   
formerly gentle breeze grew to a chilly wind, and Serena's school outfit   
provided a weakest link - one strong gust, a bout of shivering, and the pair's   
reverie was broken.   
  
"You're cold," he stated, letting go of her. "May be I should take you home..."  
"May be," she repeated, not knowing what else she could say, or whether it was   
proper to ask him to spend more time with her.  
"Let's head there, than."  
"Oh, but I can't go home. We have to go back to the Temple."  
"Oh..."  
"Thank you."  
"Whatever for?" he asked, alarmed at the bowed head and quiet gratitude.  
"For not questioning, for being understanding. For today."  
"It's my pleasure, Meatball... Whoops... I mean, Serena," blurted Darien hastily,   
mentally berating himself for the slip. "Sorry, it would take time to rinse my   
brain of that name, but if you want me to, I'll go rinse my mouth."  
"Don't," she giggled, for the first time that evening feeling perfectly at ease.   
"You wouldn't be you if you didn't call me that."  
"And you want me to be me in spite of all the arguments we had?"  
"Yes, I do, although I have to take back my words about you not questioning me."  
"But not the rest of them?"  
"No," confirmed Serena, flushing scarlet that rivaled the now barely visible sun.  
"Well, then, I guess I'll have to find a way to reimburse you," he suggested. "How   
about I treat you to an ice-cream tomorrow?"  
"Hmm, let me think," she said slowly, pretending to ponder the offer. "Hmm... No."  
"Huh?"  
"I don't think that a measly huge banana split will compensate for the lot of the   
information you've acquired since our last meeting down here."  
"So that was because of the spell that you had promised me a kiss back then! And   
to think that I had actually spent five whole days wondering why the sweet Meatball   
Head would say something so frustrating."  
"Do you think I'm sweet?" she gasped, and clutched her stomach, evidently   
attempting to exterminate the agitated butterflies. The question whether she   
was violent or not did not matter at the moment - the queasiness had to stop,   
and that meant the   
fluttering insects had to go.  
"Yes, I do. Now that our blushes match, let's take you home."  
  
For the second time that day they held each other's hands, and, although that time   
Serena's was rather cold, Darien did not dare do anything about that for the   
apprehension to upset the magical balance between them.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"So, shall I see you tomorrow?"  
"If you solemnly promise to answer another couple of embarrassing questions..."  
"I do."  
"Then see you tomorrow."  
"OK."  
"Hey, Serena..."  
  
She turned away from the Temple door to see him standing with his back to her.  
"Yes?"  
"I love you."  
  
With that Darien bolted down the stairs without waiting for Serena to emerge out   
of a mini-coma, induced by his under-considered confession. The set up had not   
been expedient, but he figured that if she were anywhere near returning his   
feelings he would be able to repeat the performance, and if she weren't the timely   
getaway would spare him her compassion.  
  
His escape, however, was halted by an impressive shout only a steel-throated girl   
could master.  
  
"Darien!"   
  
Mirroring her pose from moments before, he saw her standing on the top stair.  
  
"I love you too," she yelled, entering the already open door.  
  
The distance hindered his sight, but he could picture a wide grin adorning her   
delicate features. Her liveliness was returning, and it was been their date that   
had initiated the change.  
  
Their date... He was not sure that he could term their uncomfortable walk a   
date, but the words sounded so wonderful... He could not wait to show her what   
a real date was like... Irresistible...  
  
After a couple more attempts to form a coherent mind-sentence, Darien gave it   
up as a lost cause. Her last words made thinking impossible, even if the thoughts   
featured her as the main character. Daydreaming appeared much more appealing, as   
it did not require either effort or logic. Therefore he embarked on the aforesaid   
activity, letting his feet take charge again. The guy was positively pushing his   
luck a bit too far.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Did you have to yell, Meatball Head?"  
"Of course I did. I could not chase him around the city, could I?"  
"You could have waited till tomorrow. He would have made it through the night   
even without hearing you repeat the words for the umpteenth time."  
"Well, the thing is," Serena trailed off in embarrassment, "I was the first   
time I told him."  
"Real romantic, Meatballs for Brains. Will you ever stop yelling at the poor   
sap?"  
  
Deathly silence descended upon the room. After casting a brief accusing look   
at Raye, Lita and Amy stared at Serena, who stood leaning against the door.   
Her eyes were rolled up, her mouth pursed, and her expression was one of intent   
listening.   
  
"I don't know," told the befuddled girl a few moments later. "I thought that   
the voice was supposed to answer almost all the questions."  
"I do not believe that is correct," intervened Amy. "The voice is incapable   
of learning anything that you do not know."  
"But I did not know anything about the Silver..."  
"Yes, Sere," prodded Lita.  
"I did. Somewhere deep inside, I did know," admitted Serena. "I do not like   
that."  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
"Yes, and no. It scares me out of my wits. Sometimes, I'd rather be ignorant   
of the truth. That way I don't have to try and deliberately ignore it."  
"But sometimes it is imperative that we be aware of the truth," insisted Amy,   
"for instance when the information is related to Scout business. I am most   
eager to ask you about the whereabouts of the Silver Crystal."  
"Then ask away."  
"Are you sure that you won't freak out on us, or start moping around again?"  
"No, Raye, I am not," sighed Serena, "but we need to learn where to find the   
Crystal."  
"OK. Serena, where can we find the Silver Crystal?"  
  
After another pause, a deep sigh echoed around the large room.  
  
"I do not know. All I know is that I'll be able to gain access to it when I'm   
ready, and when I truly need its help."  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
AN: what can I say, my 'good twin' took over my laptop, and whipped up this   
chapter. I wanted to delete it out of sheer spite, being the 'evil twin' and   
such, but laziness made me post it the way it was. The question is, do I   
exterminate 'miss goody two shoes', or do I collaborate with her? All the   
answers can be mail to aishiteru@newmail.ru 


	10. Chapter VIII

Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth  
Author: Helene  
E-mail: aishiteru@nightmail.ru  
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)  
Genre: Romance  
Timeline: First Season  
Summary: It is Sailor Moon's turn to be cursed by a monster. As a   
result Serena can not help admitting the truth, the whole truth and  
nothing but the truth, to the others as well as to herself. What  
havoc will ensue, and how will Darien react?  
Disclaimer: Drained. Famished. Parched. Unattached (although I still   
hope to change that). And still no Sailor Moon rights. I guess being   
a saint does not count when it comes to copyright law.  
  
Chapter VIII  
  
"No," she gasped, jerking into a sitting position. "No."  
  
Then she collapsed back onto the bed, hysterical sobs wrecking her body.   
She heard the door being opened, but chose to ignore that as well as the   
soft patter of feet on the carpeted floor and the hand that nudged her   
shoulder.  
  
"Sere," a familiar voice said imploringly, "what is it?"  
"Oh, Lita," she cried out, flinging herself at the girl, "I am so horrible!"  
  
There was nothing she could do to stop weeping, and, even if she could, she   
wouldn't have pulled herself out of the dulling cocoon spun by the tears and   
trembling. Destroying it meant facing the piercing anguish of being bound   
to hurt him and having to make a painful decision, which was why she let   
herself rock back and forth and listen to the sound of her own moans.  
  
Sailor Moon had defeated a monster, but it had taken a toll out of her and   
she needed to lean on somebody. As always, he had been there. He had supported   
her with his powerful arms, whispering reassuring nothings into her ear. It   
had been so comforting that she wanted to stay that way forever, and she had   
raised her head to tell him that.  
  
Being held very close to him, she had been able to see his eyes through the   
mask. They were blue, deep, clear, and a bit murky, tempting her with unspoken   
secrets, drawing her in. She had lifted her hands, resting them on his shoulders   
to get a better look, and the distance between them had almost disappeared.  
  
"Sailor Moon," he had breathed, lowering his lips to meet hers in the   
slightest of touches. "Serena..."  
  
It had been the sound of her name from his mouth that had jolted her into the   
tearful awakening.  
  
"Sere, talk to me," said Lita, shaking her shoulder insistently. "What did you   
dream about?"  
"I wanted him to kiss me," sobbed Serena. "I wanted Tuxedo Mask to kiss me after   
a battle. I betrayed Darien! I betrayed the both of them!"  
"Oh, Sere, but it was just a dream."  
"But one day it is going to happen, and I'll have to choose, and one of them   
is going to be hurt."  
"How do you know that Tuxedo Mask loves you too?"  
"He used to, but you don't understand," cried out Serena. "It doesn't matter   
whether he loves me. I'm not going to choose according to their feelings. It's   
my feelings that are going to count, and I don't know how I feel!"  
"Well, yesterday you told Darien that you love him," reasoned Lita. "And we both   
know that you can't lie, so..."  
"So I love him, and I betrayed him in my dream."  
  
Lita leaned down to hug Serena. There was nothing else she could do to ease her   
friend's pain, nothing she could say. The last words had been uttered in such   
hollow voice that Lita could almost feel the agony of choice Serena was facing,   
and that frightened more than any monster Beryl could summon. Neither her words   
of comfort nor her powers could make things better, not even if she gave up   
everything she had would she be able to help.  
  
"Maybe, I shouldn't see any of them until I know for sure."  
  
The sorrowful resignation in Serena's tone made Lita flinch.  
  
"But, Sere, Darien is the only person that can make you happy these days," she   
entreated.  
"And I'm going to repay him by betrayal."  
"Maybe," emphasized Lita. "Maybe, and maybe not."  
"Maybe." Serena sighed. "But what if I do hurt him, and what if he can't handle   
it?"  
"Why don't you ask him instead of me," grumbled the brunette, angry at her own   
inability to answer the question.  
"Because that would mean disclosing my identity as Sailor Moon, and you guys wouldn't   
let me!"  
"Do you think that would help your situation?"  
  
Would that help? It would still cause him pain, but her avoiding him could hurt even   
more, adding confusion and self-doubt to the refusal. It would only be fair, Serena  
decided.  
  
"At least I won't be the only one to have to choose."  
"Well, then you should tell him. I don't like the way this all is affecting you,   
nor do the others."  
"They would still be against it."  
"We'll ask them in the morning. And now you should go to sleep."  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Ouch."  
"Hey, Dare, are you all right, or has Serena's Meatballheadedness rubbed off on you?"  
"Maybe..."  
"Man, you're scaring me. First you trip over a barstool, then grin like a lunatic and   
forget to do your trademark that-irritating-brat snort. What is it with you?"  
"There's that girl..."  
"Finally," exclaimed Andrew triumphantly. "How does she look? Did you tell her that   
you like her? When are you bringing her over?"  
"I told her that I love her, and you know her, so there's no need to introduce you."  
"I know her?" Andrew's mug grew puzzled. "Is she from the college? But you've never shown   
any interest towards the girls from the college!"  
  
Darien's grin widened, and whatever sarcastic remark Andrew, or yours truly, were   
about to deliver, died on their lips. All of a sudden, it seemed blasphemous to even   
good-naturedly tease the elated young man, the fact of his being a lovesick sap   
notwithstanding.   
  
"She's the Meatball head."  
  
That one absolutely cried for a sarcastic remark, and exceptionally biting one at   
that. Unfortunately, the blond arcade-keeper was rendered dumbstruck by the unexpected   
blow, and was unable to do more than gape at his best friend.  
  
"Andrew? Andrew, cut the theatrics, will you? You were supposed to say something along   
the lines of 'I should have known' you know."  
"I should have known, you know," repeated Andrew numbly, nodding to himself several   
times. "I should have known."  
"So what about pouring me some more coffee, and a third degree?"  
"But it was impossible to guess! I mean you always fought like dogs and cats."  
"Haven't you heard all those stories about girls and guys fighting in order to conceal   
their true feelings?"  
  
Andrew resumed nodding.  
  
"Well?"  
"Huh?"  
"She told me she loves me too, you know."  
"She did?"  
"She did. But the thing is... My secrets..." Darien trailed off, not knowing how to   
explain that he was feeling guilty for not telling Serena about his being Tuxedo Mask   
without disclosing his secret identity to Andrew. Guilty, because he was making her   
commit herself to somebody who might disappear one day, leaving her heart-broken, and   
fretful, because he wasn't sure how she would react, and whether she would prefer not   
to pursue the relationship.  
  
"Talk to her," advised the blond. "She will understand, and she is compassionate   
enough not to commence the oh-you-poor-poor-thing routine."  
"Yes, compassionate she is," acceded Darien, ignoring the reference to the accident,   
which had taken his parents and his memories, and his orphanage childhood. "That's   
why I'm afraid that the information might hurt her somehow."  
  
What kind of girl would not be hurt if her date kept abandoning her for a short-skirted   
super-heroine, his conscience demanded scathingly.  
  
"You're whipped," smirked Andrew, having regained some of his spunk. "It hasn't been a   
week since you last insulted her, and now you're acting as if she's pristine and   
porcelain."  
"She is."  
"She is also very strong, and capable of taking everything in her stride. Even you."  
"Even me."   
  
Even the allegedly dashing superhero that was always ready to go off and save another   
girl from peril. She wouldn't leave him; she would always be waiting, and never betray   
his trust, he had realized that much even before he started thinking of her as something   
other than that-irritating-brat.  
  
"So?"  
"So?"  
"When are you going to talk to her?"  
"Today. At least I hope to." Darien sighed. "I don't seem to bump into her anymore.   
She is avoiding everybody except for the girls."  
"Doesn't she go to school?"  
"Andrew, you are a genius. Bye!"  
"Hey, what about your coffee?"  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
The sky might as well have been clothed in drab clouds, flooding the earth with water   
as freezing as the blood in her veins felt. The world had to be silent, the silence   
impenetrable and final. It should have been a winter day, one that urges people to flee   
to the closest shelter and bask in the warmness of the nearest available fireplace, or   
at least electric radiator.  
  
Yet, neither the fireplace nor the radiator would have warded off the bite of   
loneliness inside her, which could only be dispelled by the mate of her soul. It did   
not make the slightest difference that she had truly devoted friends, which at the moment   
were enumerating the pro's of disclosing her secret identity to Darien. She was desperate   
for a different kind of affection, HIS.  
  
And he was not there, would not be there, not any time soon, at least...  
  
"So how about that measly banana split?"  
  
She knew that voice, and the teasing undertone that seemed to be inherent to it whenever   
it spoke to her. Snapping out of the strangely soothing misery, she looked up to see   
Darien sitting in front of her.  
  
"How did you get here?" she queried dully, not really interested in the answer.  
"I climbed the wall," he boasted cheerfully, squaring his shoulders and lifting his   
chin. "I couldn't wait to see you, so, instead of waiting till you get out, I waited   
till your lunch period."  
"I see."  
"Didn't you want to see me?" he asked, concerned and a little hurt at her apathetic   
attitude.  
"I did," she said with a small smile.  
"Don't you appreciate my quaint feat of breaking into the dismal premises of a public   
school, guarded by a dragon in disguise of a middle-aged warden?" He sprang to his feet   
to be able to assume a proud stance. "And here I thought that I acted as a perfect   
Prince Charming, coming to save my princess from fate worse than death, albeit having   
to spend another period within these hateful walls without seeing me."  
  
Darien stared at Serena in mock accusation, not noticing that all the students in the   
vicinity went wide-eyed and gaping at the comedy unfolding before them. His antics had   
one sole purpose - to cheer up his beloved, but her reaction was a far cry from what he   
had envisioned.  
  
Not even a faint grin, or a twinkle in the eye. Her mien was so earnest that he was   
suddenly afraid that she would refuse him without even listening to what he had to say.  
  
"Sere," he almost whispered, "Can we please talk?"  
"After classes," she answered quietly, taking her briefcase and leaving the table.  
"Don't worry, Darien," he heard someone to his left say. "She's a bit depressed, but   
you have nothing to do with that."  
"Lita is correct," piped in Amy. "In fact, I reckon a rendezvous with you will have a   
therapeutic effect on her."  
"Thanks girls."   
  
Darien settled on the bench and put his elbows on the table. He had an hour and a half   
to spend there, and being comfortable physically could help to ease the spiritual   
turmoil.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Serena spent the period casting wistful glances at the window. Knowing that Darien   
was sitting in the schoolyard, she fidgeted in the chair, imagining all sorts of   
unhappy thoughts that had had to be assaulting him. She yearned to flee the classroom   
to fly there and set his mind at rest, telling him that she had been ecstatic to see   
him, and that she had walked out on him only because she had been afraid to burst   
into tears and spill her secret in front of all her classmates. That, however, would   
entail telling him about Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, which was bound to hurt him   
even more than the silent treatment did, wasn't it?  
  
She remembered his bewildered eyes and hurt expression when she hadn't responded  
to his banter. His hopes were already up, she realized with a pang of shame and   
self-disgust, and there was nothing she could do to eschew hurting him even more.   
Even telling the truth would not rectify the situation. Nevertheless, he deserved   
to learn why she behaved the way she had.  
  
The bell put an end to Serena's musings. She took time gathering her things,   
reluctant to start the vexing conversation with Darien. Amy and Lita had to urge   
her to exit the classroom, and she trudged behind them to the yard.  
  
He was still at the table where they had left him. His back crooked, his head resting   
on the arms, he seemed so tired and vulnerable that she couldn't help increasing her   
pace and running the last meters.  
  
"Darien," she said softly, touching his face and sweeping his bangs away from his   
eyes. "Are you OK?"  
"Do you want to take your yesterday words back?" he queried anxiously.  
"No, I don't. But we really need to talk."  
"We do," he agreed, raising his head and stretching his stiff muscles. "Shall we get   
that ice-cream?"  
"I'd rather go somewhere quiet."  
"To the park, then. If you don't mind, girls," he nodded in the direction of Lita   
and Amy.  
"Just bring her to the Temple when you're through."  
"I hope we'll never be through." Darien grinned. "Shall we," he bowed to Serena,   
holding out his hand.   
  
Serena blushed becomingly, but, unlike the day before, she did not hesitate. She   
stepped towards him, and took the proffered hand.   
  
"Good luck, lovebirds," they heard from behind them, both feeling their cheeks   
go uncomfortably warm.  
"Do you get used to that?"  
"No, I'm afraid you don't."  
"Having one's cheeks permanently stained scarlet is but a modest price for being   
with you," he enunciated with a flourish.  
"Flatterer."  
  
The rest of the walk was silent, for neither was in the mood for trivial pleasantries,   
and both felt the need for seclusion before "coming clean".  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
After a half an hour walk they stumbled across a small clearing which both ensured   
isolation and answered their wish for a romantic setup: lush grass, sprinkled with wild   
flowers, tall trees and a piece of sky, not obscured by the greenery, made little to   
be desired. The place was so peaceful that nobody would think that only about two weeks   
ago it had accommodated a furious battle between the Sailor Scouts and a ferocious   
monster that had withstood a Moon Wand attack. Even the participants of the battle   
failed to recognize it.  
  
"Here we are."  
"Yea."  
"So..."  
"Let me go first."   
"No, Sere. As much as I'd like to accommodate your every wish, it's my turn to   
disclose sordid secrets, remember?"   
"It definitely is." Serena giggled, recalling their meeting the day before. Her   
sordid secret would have to wait, she decided. She owed him after all, so she just   
turned to face him and commanded: "Shoot."   
  
Darien breathed in. Now or never, he realized that much, and, in spite of the fact   
that he had had more than enough time to gather his wits, he was still nervous. Inhale.   
Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale...  
  
"Is it really that sordid?" he heard her ask with bald curiosity.   
"No, it's really that secret."   
"Are you sure you want to let me in on that?"   
"Positive, but I don't know where to start."  
  
How to muster the spunk, and then phrase it, that was more like it. No matter what   
the rest of the world assumed, not every sentence he uttered had to reek of verbosity,   
but he did not tend to just blurt things out.  
  
"From the very beginning, of course," advised Serena. "There is no better place to   
start."   
  
"Well," he drawled, switching to the last means for stalling, namely, parasite words,   
childhood stories and trailing off, "since I was little I kept having that dream..."   
"Well?"  
"Forget it. The story is too long to tell it from the very beginning. I'd rather cut it   
short, seeing as I've got the best instrument to do so."  
  
With a wonted gesture he proffered her a blooming rose, watching her intently to gauge   
her reaction.  
  
Serena regarded the exquisite flower with perplexity. What could the offering, however   
sweet and romantic, have to do with any secret, unless it was his love, which he had   
already confessed? Was it supposed to bribe her, maybe? She didn't want to be bribed,   
not by him, and she promptly informed him about her point of view.  
  
At that the intense watchfulness on his face slipped to be replaced by undisguised   
amusement. Not that Serena minded, though, she liked the merry twinkle in his eyes   
much better than the haunted look they had held when he had feared her rejection.  
"Feel its tip," he told with a rakish smirk.  
  
Reaching out a tentative finger, she did just that only to withdraw it in consternation.  
  
"It's sharp!" she exclaimed accusingly.  
"But of course it is." He said it as if it were the most natural occurrence that a   
rose's tip be steel-tipped and sharper than the finest Spanish dagger. "I've told you   
that I wanted to cut the story short, haven't I?"  
  
Without allowing Serena time to ponder the origin of such extraordinary flower, he   
gestured with his fingers, which made his clothes blur to be replaced with a tuxedo   
and a cloak, the familiar domino mask covering his face.  
  
When the rush of the transformation receded, the first thing he saw was Serena beaming   
at him, her eyes aglow with unbridled joy and uninhibited affection, the very memory of   
the earlier depression having vanished. And, mingling with the soft rustling of the   
trees, a slow compelling melody floated around them, its source lying on Serena's palms.   
  
*********************************************************************  
  
When she had seen Darien change, a torrent of violent happiness swept Serena into the   
formerly alien realm of blinding bliss. Her emotions went haywire, pulling at her   
hapless consciousness and tugging it in several directions at once. Breathing became   
difficult, but, instead of concentrating on steadying the uneven gasps, she mustered   
the little control she had retained over her body to fish out the golden locket that he   
had given to Sailor Moon.  
  
Immediately, the locket's melody enveloped them in a protective force field, and there   
was nothing in her world except for the caressing gaze of his astounded orbs. She never   
noticed him revert his transformation, step closer, or lean in. Instead, she savored the   
feel of his forehead coming in contact with her own.  
  
"Told you that telling all the story would have been a waste of time," murmured Darien,   
gently stroking her hands.  
"I thought I'm so horrible because I love the both of you!" Now that the suffering   
seemed to be finally over, she was suddenly tearful. The relief was almost unbearable,   
would have been unbearable if her love had not been there.  
  
But he was there. He raised a hand to pass a thumb over her cheek and tenderly cupped   
her face, tilting it up.  
  
"Shhh, Meatball Head," he whispered, "it's OK now."  
  
It was so much better than just OK. It had been ever since he saw that brilliant smile   
adorn Serena's previously mournful features. At that moment his heart had filled with   
endless wonder and eternal gratitude for the warm feelings, flooding his soul. Even her   
abrupt weepiness had failed to discourage him. In fact, he happened to know the perfect   
cure that would make her forget all about depressions.  
  
Slowly, Darien lowered his head until his lips hovered just above her tempting mouth.  
  
"I love you, Princess," he said, covering the rest of the distance.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
AN: I'm almost finished, although I'll need one more chapter before I do the   
epilogue. The problem is I have my issues with this chapter, so, if you've got any  
destructive or constructive critisism PLEASE e-mail me so that I can mend this chapter,  
and feel up to doing the next one. 


	11. Chapter IX

Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth  
Author: Helene  
E-mail: hellene@list.ru  
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)  
Genre: Romance  
Timeline: First Season  
Summary: It is Sailor Moon's turn to be cursed by a monster. As a   
result Serena can not help admitting the truth, the whole truth and  
nothing but the truth, to the others as well as to herself. What  
havoc will ensue, and how will Darien react?  
Disclaimer: Sinning doesn't get you Sailor Moon rights any faster than being a saint does.  
  
Chapter IX  
  
Myriad bubbles of sheer joy flooded her whole being. They were lighter than the air she   
breathed, and she felt as if she were going to either burst with the tingling excitement   
or take off to float in the air. Balmy currents swirled soothingly against her skin, the   
same currents she had attempted to ignore only that morning. But back then there had   
been no warm hands closed around hers protectively, no soft lips moving against her own   
in a sweet caress, no sensation of the ultimate completion warding off the depression.  
  
Dizzy with the onslaught on her senses, she swayed slightly, and Darien broke the kiss   
to draw her to his body.  
  
"Are you OK?" he asked, perusing her filmy orbs.   
"Yes."  
  
Serena returned his intent gaze, savoring the precious moment along with the precious   
memory of the precious kiss. The precious memory, which awakened another one...  
  
"Princess?" she queried, a puzzled frown tugging at her lips.  
"Princess," confirmed Darien, beaming at her indulgently. "I knew when you told me that   
I am Endymion. I've always known that it would be the princess of my dreams who would   
tell me who I am..."  
  
His heart was singing with the euphoria of finally holding her, and the fact that it   
was interfering with his capacity to form coherent thoughts and sentences was not the   
least disturbing. With her by his side he didn't need to substitute philosophy for   
feelings, and there was nothing they couldn't communicate to each other by simple   
smiles and touches. And kisses.  
  
Without averting his eyes, he swept a tender pair of fingers up her arm, reveling in   
the shiver that ran through Serena, causing her fingers to uncurl and drop the still   
playing locket. The fingers continued their trail to carefully cup her glowing face,   
his other arm circling her narrow waist.  
  
"I didn't know," she whispered shakily, still unable to regain her composure, which   
was absolutely fine with Darien, provided that she remained within his embrace.   
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Several figures were prowling expertly down a long corridor. Their footsteps were   
absolutely soundless, their breathing nearly as silent. The only thing that could   
betray their presence was a flickering light in the hand of the group leader. The   
light was too dim to illuminate the passage, and yet the figures were using it to   
direct their movement.  
  
"Almost there," whispered the leader, indicating the light. "It's almost steady,   
and that means Rainbow Crystals are in close proximity within the wand."  
"Where are we?" asked the last figure.  
"Close enough to the depositary to start looking for the entrance, and that is all   
we need to know at the moment," rejoined the first one.  
"I don't see any doors."  
"Wait a moment. I'll consult the computer."  
"Won't the light draw the attention of the guards?" cautioned one of the previously   
silent figures.  
"We need the map to find our way around."  
"Like we haven't been in a similar situatioin before."  
"Like we haven't been caught in a similar situation before."  
"Shhh."  
"OK."  
"It's creepy here."  
"Not creepier than the time before, or the two times before that one."  
"It still creeps me out."  
"Be quiet," snapped the tallest member of the group, too irritated to remain wordless   
any longer.  
"I'm through," announced the leader. "According to the map, the depositary is right   
behind that wall. Our problem, however, is that the entrance to the depositary is   
situated in its opposite wall."  
"So what's the problem to just walk around?"  
"There is no corridor around the depositary."  
"Why don't we make us a door?" muttered the tallest one eagerly. "That way we won't   
have to mess with the alarm-system."  
"Should I use the chain?"  
"The fireball should be more effective."  
"I could always zap the wall."  
"No!"  
"Hands up!" commanded a deep bass from somewhere behind the group, halting the   
conversation.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
The trees were being flapped by gusts of wind, and heavy raindrops pounded deafeningly   
against every uncovered surface. The sky was completely dark, ominous clouds blocking   
the light of the moon and stars. Thunderclaps rumbled now and again, followed closely   
by blinding flashes of lightning. The streetlamps flickered due to the force of the   
storm, and the illumination did nothing to ward off the oppressive gloom.  
  
The amount of the cars that had braved the streets was to be counted on one's fingers,   
and so was the speed of their cautious progress, in spite of the fact that each of their   
owners had to have quite a pressing matter to attend. After all, who would prefer vainly   
staking their life in the nasty weather to the relatively safe haven of their habitation,   
maniacs and Negacreeps excluded?  
  
One of the unfortunate souls pulled up in front of a tall building, and, without even   
opening an umbrella, dashed through the doors, proving the pressing matter guess to be   
accurate. In mere seconds, though, the person was pushed out into the torrent by a   
uniformed hulk.  
  
Muttering something under his breath, the seemingly daunted driver slid back into his   
vehicle, started the engine and left, or so it appeared to the guard. Actually, the car   
never made it to the highway, having stopped behind the edifice. A few seconds and an   
energy surge later, a tuxedoed youth leapt high into the air to land on one of the   
windowsills.  
  
After a brief examination of the room behind the glass, the youth somehow opened window and   
jumped inside.  
  
The room's furnishings were rather austere: a desk, a wardrobe, and a bed, the occupant of   
which was huddled up under the covers.   
  
"Serena," called out the nocturnal visitor softly, "Sere, are you all right?"  
"No," whimpered the shivering form from under the blanket. "I'm scared to death."  
  
In two quick strides the young man reached the bed to kneel beside it and give the blanket   
a pat.  
  
"Meatball Head, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm already here..."  
"Took you long enough," grumbled the blanket childishly.  
"But I'm here now, so how about a greeting?" entreated the man. "Don't you love me anymore?"  
  
A slender arm shot out of the blanket and moved it, revealing matted golden locks and a tear   
streaked face.  
  
"I'll always love you," said the girl, sitting up to bestow a tender look on her companion. "Even   
the scariest storm doesn't sound scary when you're with me."  
"And I'll always be with you," he promised, trailing his knuckles down her face.  
  
As Serena beamed at him, Darien stood up from his kneeling position and took a seat on the bed.   
Their heads moved closer, and their eyes fluttered close almost simultaneously - an easy trick   
to accomplish for the seasoned couple. Neither rushed the joining of the lips, instead savoring   
the moments of anticipation and the breathing of their beloved, wafting against their skin.  
  
The pending kiss, however, was not meant to be. A shrill beeping noise jolted the pair, making   
them clutch at each other fearfully for a couple of seconds, and then emit wary sighs, having   
identified the source of the noise.  
  
"Tuxedo Mask here," said Darien into the pink watch that was lying on the desk.  
"We're locked in the monitoring room near the depositary, and there's no way we can use our   
powers," told the weary Sailor Mercury.  
"Then it's up to me again, isn't it?"  
"Good luck," breathed Serena, giving him a small peck on the lips and shoving him off the bed.   
"Please, Tuxedo Mask, bring me the Silver Imperium Crystal."  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
"Stop pointing that thing at my head will you?"  
"Sorry, no can do, sugar. Super-heroines or not, you and your girlfriends   
shouldn't have been trespassing on the hospital territory, trying to steal   
into the depositary. I have my own duties, which are to guard you till   
the police get here and take you to the station."  
"But..."  
"And stop talking. All the city knows you know some magic words, and I   
don't want to be affected by your magic."  
"With all due respect, sir..."  
"Stop talking!"  
  
The guard was growing edgy. After all, his line of work did not entail   
capturing the local super-heroines, whose powers could easily level the   
workplace itself. And the wretched wenches (since when does HE know how   
to alliterate?) refused to stop talking, which was driving him as insane   
as the ones kept in the building he was guarding. Even now the quiet   
blue-haired one was muttering something into her wrist.  
  
"Stop it!" he exploded, the near shriek startling his prisoners into a   
blessed bout of whole three-minute silence.  
  
"Umm... sir?" sniffled the only blond in the group. "Don't we get to make   
a phone call or something? I mean since you refuse to let us go..."  
"They let you make the calls after you get to the police station, you idiot,"   
yelled the riled up security. "How come such idiotic women like you get to...   
Ouch!"  
  
The man's tirade was interrupted, as he felt something sharp pierce his... the   
area slightly below his lower back.  
  
"What the hell is that?" he cried out, forsaking his gun to reach behind and   
withdraw the offending object, which turned out to be a syringe.  
"Mercury Bubble Blast!"  
  
The room was quickly immersed in dense fog, and the next thing the unfortunate   
guard felt was a wet cloth being clamped to his mouth. Then his mind became as   
foggy as the room, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.  
  
"A syringe?" Sailor Mars lifted an eyebrow at Tuxedo Mask, who had stalked   
through the door. "Since when you throw syringes instead of your infamous   
roses? Oh, and while you're at it, where's the notorious speech?"  
"An energy charged rose would have caused severe damage," he told her grimly.   
"What was it this time?"  
"Aw, poor Darien, you would have much rather stayed there with Serena till we   
brought her the Crystal," cooed Sailor Venus.  
"That was the plan," he acceded darkly. "She was scared to death by the thunder   
this time, to add to the effects of the examinations she'd been subjected to. I   
want to get back to her as soon as possible, so let's go find the Crystal."  
"It's in the depositary," told Amy, "right across the hall."  
"How long will it take you to find Serena's stuff?"  
"I'm going to track the Crystal with the computer, and..."  
"How long?"  
"About three minutes."  
"Good. We'll watch the corridor so that you don't get caught again."  
"Just how many asylums are there in this city," wondered Sailor Venus as the   
five exited the monitoring room, leaving their captor to lie on the floor. "I mean,   
it's the forth time we're going through this, and Serena ended up in a new one yet   
again."  
"I'd rather we didn't have to find out," answered Jupiter. "I'd rather I ended up   
with the curse myself, too. This way she could have lifted it just like she lifted   
yours. But no, everything has to happen the hard way."  
"I wouldn't refer to it as the hard way," cut in Mercury. "After all, the curse   
got Darien and Serena together, and revealed the princess sooner than it would   
have occurred otherwise. And who knows if it would have been soon enough to   
defeat Beryl as easily as we did."  
"You call that easy?" burst out Mars. "I felt sore for about a whole month, and   
that in spite of the scout healing abilities!"  
"None of us died, or was dangerously close to dying," said Tuxedo Mask quietly.   
"I reckon that does allow to describe the battle as easy."  
  
His words got all the girls to fall silent as they remembered the recent   
confrontation they took part in. Each couldn't help but think of the moment when   
Tuxedo Mask and all the scouts, including the reserved outers, were dead to the   
world, having left their princess to fight their possessed enemy on her own.  
  
"She doesn't deserve this," sighed Sailor Jupiter. "We should have watched her   
better. For heaven's sake, it's freaking forth time! We should have..."  
"What?" cried Venus. "Whisked her away from the classroom when she started saying   
that she was unable to focus because she had fought as Sailor Moon the night   
before? Forbidden her to ever fight? What?!"  
"Girls, it's neither the time nor place. Please stop. This isn't helping Serena."  
"They know," told Mars. "But harder on them than it is on us. Every time it happens,   
they have to watch Serena spill the truth to Miss H. and being taken to the hospital   
for people with mental disorders because they are unable to perform their duty and   
protect her. And afterwards, when we get to her and bring her the Crystal, they   
also have to watch her risk her life, using the Crystal to erase everybody's memories   
of the accident, all because they were unable to prevent her from speaking."  
"Are you implying that it isn't as hard on you, Raye?"  
"I don't know. But for all her begging, I might have been unable to abstain from   
transforming and defending her from those doctors. You know how much she hates   
hospitals, and yet she allows them to take her."  
"That she does." Darien's chuckle was mirthless. "She is always more concerned of   
what may happen to other people to worry about herself. Which is why we are going   
to have to carry on rescuing her from hospitals until it becomes safe for the world   
to learn what she is."  
"Which will happen only after Rini returns from the first trip to the future,"   
reminded Sailor Mercury, who had just returned with a box in her hands.  
"Please don't bring it up again," begged Mars. "I really don't want to think about   
the things we had to do to shut the Meatball Head up."  
"I do," smirked Darien.  
"Well but of course you do," drawled Jupiter. "You only had to kiss her in the most   
inappropriate moments. Now how hard could that be?"  
  
The girls laughed, trailing after the tuxedoed youth.  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
Well, basically this is how the story ends. Definitely a sequel material, isn't it?   
Although the first thing I want to do is to revise it to fix all the plot   
inconsistencies, poor phrasing and stuff. So if there's anything that bugs you about   
the story PLEASE e-mail me, or put it as a review. I especially want to know if it is   
really unclear that Darien learned about Serena's being Sailor Moon because she had   
showed him the star locket. A couple of people asked about that, although it is in   
the chapter. 


End file.
